Assassin
by Bellum Gerere
Summary: I was a killer, was the best they'd ever seen/I'd steal your heart before you ever heard a thing/I'm an Assassin and I had a job to do/Little did I know that girl was an Assassin too...
1. Ordinary Night

_I really don't have much to say here except that I hope you all review and stuff…y'know, the usual. Hope you enjoy this; just a little look at what a "normal day" is like for Alice. There will probably be a summary on my profile eventually._

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter One: Ordinary Night**

**Alice Brandon**

I wasn't sure how much I was looking forward to this job. The two boys were barely eighteen-younger than me. So much _lfe_ to live, and in a moment I would take that opportunity away.

I was told not to feel for my victims, to think of them as mine for the taking. It was hard for me, though. Oh, I tried not to feel, but only to save myself. I cared more about my life than the ones I'd taken.

The only exception to that was the one who hunted _me_-but that hadn't happened yet.

I leaned casually against the wall of what had come to be known as Murder Alley-site of the most deaths in the tiny "city" that was Amber Falls. They would be here any minute, accepting the invitation from an unknown. _My_ unknown-or, rather, _I_ was _his_.

Just as I thought this they appeared, tall but lanky-the build of a teenager. I watched their eyes widen at the sight of me, just standing there. Slow smiles spread across their faces, but I was indifferent to their response. I smiled back-but only because that was what they expected from me. I had sworn to give them what they expected.

I raised my hand slightly and motioned for them to follow, slipping through the side door of an abandoned building. Up three flights of stairs and to a makeshift bedroom, where I made the taller one wait outside, and pulled the other into the room, locking the door behind us.

I did not hesitate, but pushed him into the bed and kissed him fiercely, laying on top of him. I let him run his hands all over my body, and touched him in return. Our lips never parted from each other's, and my hand was tight on his neck, marking the spot I'd been looking for. I used my other hand to reach to the nightstand and grab the black handle of the knife.

It seemed like he barely even noticed when I slit his throat.


	2. The Sun Came Up Again

_So, I've got a few people who are actually reading this…you are all wonderful, and hope you like this chapter. It'll be a while before she meets Jasper, so just bear with me. We'll get a little of Alice's background in this chapter._

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Two: The Sun Came Up Again**

**Alice Brandon**

I took care of his friend the same way, a routine that had-after three years-grown old. Only afterwards did I allow myself to smile. He would be pleased with my work.

Thinking about what he would have done that night-who he would have gotten rid of on our way to the main target-I slowly started over to the silver car, parked ten blocks away. i took my time, looking around at what was most likely the last I would see of the outside world for a while. I was always locked inside for a week afterward, but I never dared to ask why.

At the time I assumed it was to cover the tracks; to keep us safe from discovery. But later I realized it was to keep me safe from an opponent.

~oOo~

When I got to the dingy apartment we shared, it was dark. I knew he was awake, though. Having all the lights off wouldn't fool me. Quietly, I walked over to the one bedroom and cracked open the door.

He was laying down, covered by a thick quilt, but his breathing was slightly erratic, and I knew he was awake. His back was turned to me; he stared out the window. The morning light wasn't shining through the little crevice between the buildings.

Ignoring all the rules of so-called "courtesy," I climbed onto the bed, draping myself across his warm body.

"Good morning, Edward," I sang quietly, leaning around to see his face.

He was smiling as he pulled me in to kiss me. His lips were warm and familiar against mine, a welcome after the night of unfamiliarity. I collapsed onto him as he pulled away, both of us breathing heavily.

"I assume it was a successful night, then?" he said. "Since you seem so happy?"

I nodded, still lightheaded from his kiss. "No problems. They'll find the bodies in a few days."

"Mmm," he murmured, kissing along my jaw. "Good job. You're doing so much better." He disappeared for a moment, and then I felt his lips against mine, his tongue, trying to force entry. I felt every inch of his body against mine, and I moaned in pleasure.

"Don't stop, _please_," I said, but at that moment he pulled away.

"_Edward_," I protested, still craving the feel of him against me.

"Not now," he said, looking me over with a critical eye. "You need to get cleaned up. We're meeting Rose and her brother today. Later," he promised, and the thought got my heart racing.

"On," he added, when I was almost out of the room. "you might want to start with that blood on your neck."

"What?" I asked in disbelief, rushing to the bathroom. I pulled my jacket away and stared at the red-brown spot.

_Damn._


	3. Love Song For No One

…_I don't really have anything to say. I'm still kind of awed by the show of support for this story. I didn't think it would get as far as it has. Thanks to all who reviewed, and don't worry-Alice and Jasper will be together soon. I think I would die if they weren't =) So, keep reviewing, and…stuff…I guess. Oh, and this chapter mentions a little about Rose and Edward…not anymore. Eventually it will be canon pairings for all of them, I promise._

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Three: Love Song For No One**

**Jasper Hale**

I didn't know what time it was when Rose woke me up. Some ungodly hour, no doubt. She was a morning person. I wasn't, but I _was_ the bane of her existence for that very reason. That morning was particularly hellish, as I had to listen to her bitch about my habit of sleeping until noon. She ended the lecture by telling me to go "make myself presentable." And then I remembered what day it was.

It was September twenty-third, the only day I'd bothered to mark on my calendar all year. It was the day I finally got to meet the mysterious Edward Cullen and his girlfriend (whom Rose described as "short and sarcastic"). I wasn't necessarily looking forward to it, but I'd been curious ever since Rose decided she wanted me to meet the "competition."

I knew a lot about Edward-in fact, I'd seen him around a couple times. I knew he was tall, with bronze hair and green eyes. I knew Rose used to date him in high school, until he dropped out and broke her heart in the process. I knew without asking that he'd moved on.

Of his girlfriend, though, I knew almost nothing. There was the odd bit of information I'd managed to pry from Rose, but it wasn't much. I knew that her name was Alice Brandon, that she was nineteen and had been dating Edward for three years, since he broke up with Rose-who had also grudgingly admitted that Alice was "kind of pretty" and that she and Edward looked good together.

It was this that worried me. I knew that Rose hated Alice for stealing Edward from her. Why would she say something like that?

It didn't bother me at all that I had no answer.

~oOo~

"We've been waiting for an _hour_," Rose complained. "Where _are_ they?"

"They'll be here," I assured her, turning to scan the crowd at the door. We were waiting for the two that would walk past the line, flaunting the benefits of making a reservation.

"No. They'll stand us up," she whined-then her face brightened a little, lost some of its tragic expression. "Oh. Or they could be right there."

I turned around to look-and saw that Rose had been understating when she said Alice was _kind of pretty_.

She wasn't.

She was beautiful.


	4. My Stupid Mouth

_Still loving the reviews I'm getting for this story, if only I got more than one per chapter :I I'm not complaining, though-I'm just happy to be getting reviews at all =) So keep doing that...This chapter is kind of about the start of Alice and Jasper's relationship. There will definitely be more later…haha._

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Four: My Stupid Mouth**

**Jasper Hale**

She was just as short as I expected-four foot ten, at the least-and even from a distance, I could see her eyes were a startling and bright shade of blue. Her red dress was short and low-cut and showed her off in all the right places. When she looked at me, I could see sadness reflected in her eyes, and I wanted to be the one to take that sadness away.

"Jasper?" Rose waved her hand in front of my face. I pushed it away, wanting to look at Alice again. I wanted to make her smile.

"Oh." Rose was stunned, looking at me with a worried expression. "Maybe she's better looking than I remembered. Either that or she has hypnotizing powers. I guess you're sitting with her, then."

She made a face and slid out of the booth, and before I could react Alice was across from me, looking so much more perfect up close that I was speechless.

"Err…hi," I choked out. I was going to make some other sarcastic comment, but she leaned towards me, and I lost the ability to think coherently. She pulled me closer by the collar of my shirt and put her lips to my ear.

"If you say anything I don't want to hear, I will_ not_ hesitate to shoot you," she threatened. I should've taken it seriously, but the feel of her lips on my skin distracted me.

"Okay," I said, and she pulled away. I was mourning the loss of contact, and that scared me. I hadn't felt anything for anyone in almost a year.

She sighed, and when I glanced up she was looking at me expectantly, like she was waiting for something.

"What?" I said.

She looked down. "Go ahead. Ask."

I was still marveling over the wind-chime sound of her vouce, but some small part of my brain had enough function to respond. "Ask what?"

"Ask what he's making me do. I know you want to. It's in your eyes."

"No." I could see the sadness plain as day on her face. The words came out before I could stop them. "I don't want you to hurt like that."

I could tell she was shocked by how quick this conversation had turned around. I could see tears in her eyes. Was she that affected by what I'd said?

I carefully reached over and laid my hand on her cheek. She turned, pressing her lips into my palm.

"Jasper," she murmured, then stopped. "That _is_ your name, right?" I nodded. "Thank you. So much. Everyone else asks that, and I never want to answer." She opened her eyes and looked up at me. "You're different."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I stuttered. She was caressing my hand now. I wasn't sure how I was concentrating with her touching me like that."

"It's a good thing," she smiled, leaning closer.

But when Rose looked over at us, we straightened up and continued to talk about who-knows-what.


	5. No Such Thing

_So, I've gotten a couple more reviews, which is great. I just have a favor to ask…if you guys could vote on the poll on my profile, I'm having some trouble deciding what to write next…if you vote, I will love you forever =) This chapter is kind of…different. It will definitely slow the Alice/Jasper relationship down. The reason the last chapter happened so fast was that Jasper's character in this story kind of likes to jump headfirst into things. You'll see more of that later. Alice also tends to rush a little, and she likes that she's getting attention from someone other than Edward after three years. For now, enjoy! Also thanks to NikkiRose23 for being supportive at that Panera thing today. You're wonderful. And it's dot NET. Get it right =)_

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Five: No Such Thing**

**Alice Brandon**

_Wow_. That was all I could think as I relived the heated encounter in my mind. Edward had control of the car, and I was thankful for that. If I had been driving we surely would have crashed by now.

"What's got you so distracted?" Edward asked, smiling, as he pulled into our spot. "It wouldn't have anything to do with Jasper, would it?"

His name triggered memories, and I thought of him. Of the way he talked, of his smile, of how his hand felt on my face. Of his eyes. His perfect green eyes.

"Maybe," I said absently, climbing out of the car. I stumbled on the uneven concrete and Edward caught me, his arms tight around my waist. I was pleased with the attention, but not that it was from him.

I nearly collapsed on the floor when we were inside the apartment due to my lack of sleep. Edward caught me, and carried me to the bedroom, laying me down carefully on the bed. I fell asleep quickly to the familiar sound of cars driving down the road outside.

That night, Jasper was in my dreams.

~oOo~

I was jolted awake by the first ray of bright sunlight that made its way between the buildings. It was 10 AM, according to the clock on the nightstand. Much too early. I was rolling over, trying to go back to sleep, when I heard voices.

I couldn't tell what they were saying, and senseless curiosity was overwhelming me. It was compelling me. I wanted desperately to know what they were saying. Quietly, I opened the bedroom door and stepped into the hall.

And stopped dead.

The voices were coming from Edward and Rosalie, who were in the kitchen, completely caught up in the argument they were having. But Jasper was there, too-in the living room. And he was staring at me.

A small, horrified part of my brain noted that I was only wearing a bra and jeans, and he probably wasn't staring at my face. But the other part was pleased that he was looking at me; that he knew I existed. That smaller part won out, though, and I ducked back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind me.

I leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. He looked at me. Actually _looked_ at me. Was that interest I'd seen in his eyes? Or was it pity?

The flood of emotions was too much for me and I collapsed on the bed, curling up with my arms around my knees. No one besides Edward had looked at me like that in so long. It was not just desire I saw in those eyes. Those green eyes that seemed to shine whenever he looked at me.

A quiet knock at the door disturbed my scattered thought process, and I raised my head enough to yell "go away" at whoever was intruding on my epiphany.

"Alice?" _Oh. _There was that voice, the one that sent my head spinning. "Can I come in?"

I was shocked that he wanted to speak to me after what he'd just seen. He probably thought I was drunk. Or worse.

Despite that, I pulled a shirt on and walked over to open the door.

He was even more perfect than last night, if it was possible, if you didn't note the embarrassed expression on his face.

"What?" I asked testily. I wasn't in the mood for idle conversation.

He looked at me uneasily. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for…you know. You can shoot me if you want, just like you said." He smiled a little.

"I couldn't do that," I replied. "And I didn't mean it."

He looked relieved-to my surprise-and was about to say something else when Rose poked her head in between ours.

"Jazz, we have to leave. _Now_." Her voice was strained. "Maria's coming back into town today."

"Who?" Edward asked. He looked just as confused as I felt.

"Oh. His fiancée." She tilted her head in Jasper's direction before taking hold of his arm and all but dragging him out of the apartment. "Bye."

I stared after them in shock, my mind trying to process what just happened. There was sadness, but mostly fury. I was mad that he could behave that way around me and turn out to be engaged. I thought we could've had something, that I could have a life outside of Edward and killing on Edward's request. It seemed, though, that I could never get what I wished for.

That was when I began plotting my revenge.

_I just found out  
__There's no such thing  
__As the real world  
__Just a lie  
__You've got to rise above_


	6. Shooting the Moon

_Okay, so I went to do something and then I totally forgot what it was. Anyone else who hates that, raise your hand! I think I see one in the back there…yeah. You know who you are._

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Six: Shooting the Moon**

**Alice Brandon**

The only positive thing about my life was that he didn't know where I lived. He couldn't come to see me and beg for my forgiveness-not that he needed to. It wasn't his fault. I knew who was to blame-myself.

I kept repeating to myself that i was only disappointed because I missed the attention he had given me. I loved attention, lived for it. I'd always gotten it, too, because people mistook me for beautiful. I didn't think I was, but it was apparently the bystander's decision to make.

Edward insisted I go out after two weeks of laying around the apartment. On a cloudy Saturday night he dragged me to the bar down the street. It was open mic night, he said, and maybe if he got drunk enough he would actually sing.

There was already someone onstage when we got there. Edward met Rosalie at the door, and I stiffened automatically, looking around the dimly lit and crowded room as the music played.

_All of the astronauts  
__Champagne and plastic cups  
__Waiting for the big hero to show  
__Outside the door he stands  
__His head in his hands  
__And his heart in his throat_

_What can he tell them now  
__Sorry I let you down  
__Sorry it wasn't quite true  
__But don't get hung up on it  
__Just soldier on with it  
__And good luck with shooting the moon_

"I like this song," Edward said. His voice was slightly slurred, a glass in his hand. I stepped away. "And he's so much better than he was last year."

"Yeah." Rose was clinging to Edward's arm-already drunk. "He's been practicing." She motioned towards the stage.

I looked up-and almost fainted, gripping Edward's other arm for support.

_All of the principals  
__Generals, admirals  
__And the podium lit with a spotlight  
__The crowd buzzing quietly  
__Waiting expectantly  
__Like it's opening night_

He was watching me, too, as he sang. Normally I reveled in the attention-from anyone-but there was still that part of me that remembered out last encounter, and I blushed.

It seemed like he was singing to me, and our eyes locked, not wanting to look away from the other.

_What can he tell them now  
__Sorry I let you down  
__Sorry it wasn't quite true  
__But don't get hung up on it  
__Just soldier on with it  
__And good luck with shooting the moon_

He was looking at me when he'd sang those last few lines. I was sure of it. But when he finished the song he stumbled drunkenly off the stage and into the arms of a dark-haired girl whose back was to me.

I was sad, angry-but also pleased to note he didn't look particularly happy with his company. His eyes were still on me.


	7. Keep Awake

_Nothing really important to say here. As usual, thanks to all the people who reviewed, and…keep doing that…I guess._

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Seven: Keep Awake**

_She looks so sad. _I watched her from inside my prison-of-sorts and she watched me back. Her face was unreadable, but she was sad. I could see it in her eyes.

For the past two weeks I had been willing myself not to think of her and that first time our eyes met. I thought I was doing a good job until I saw her that night. Her expression remind me of the last time, when she looked at me with such sadness. There was some underlying emotion now. Anger? I couldn't tell.

I pushed Maria away from he, disappearing into the crowd before her numb mind (we'd been drinking) could work out where I'd gone.

I could see Alice more clearly as I neared, and the sadness I had dreamed was on her face turned out to be only an illusion. She watched me now with a cold, icy indifference that pierced right through me and left me wondering if her smile was just a façade.

She looked amused when I reached her, smirking, looking over me.

"Well. Somebody's been busy, haven't they?"

I glanced down. _Busy_ looked like an understatement.

"What's it to you?" I retorted, feverishly praying it was dark enough that she couldn't see the red flush on my face and neck. I hadn't wanted her to se me like this, obviously drowning in my misery.

She shook her head, indicating that she wasn't going to answer, and then commented, "You don't look happy. Damn."

"What?" I was confused.

"You're already miserable. That means I can't make it worse. And I was so looking forward to it…"

"Looking forward to _what_?" It sounded like the only ting I'd said to her.

"I was going to extract my horrible revenge on you in the most lingering, painful way possible. But you already look so sad. I can't do anything more."

It seemed like she meant what she was saying, and that startled me. I was having trouble reconciling the Alice of before, who'd been so innocent in everything, to the Alice now, whose emotions were sincere only when she spoke of pain. These were the hardened-almost indifferent-feelings of a killer. This was what I'd been expecting, what I was waiting for that day we met.

Still, I wasn't expecting her to be so beautiful.

"Yes, you can," I said. I was confident in her ability to make my life seem like fucking hell.

She contemplated this as she looked me over. The emotion in her eyes would have seemed to be interest to passers-by, but I knew differently. She wouldn't want me when she had someone as seemingly perfect as Edward.

"I suppose I could," she murmured to herself, and then her face lit up, as if she were having the most wonderful idea. "And I know exactly how, too."

I was afraid to ask, but I felt I needed to. "How?"

She glanced around, making sure Rose and Edward were out of sight, and put her warm lips to my ear.

"I can't tell you. But let's just say you should probably try and keep awake."

Then she leaned back and watched me as the fear set in.

~oOo~

At midnight I snuck into the apartment. It only took a few seconds to pick the rusty lock, which would probably open with any key you put in it. Not a fitting lock for someone who killed people on a regular basis. I smiled to myself as I opened the bedroom door. This would be easy.

They were both asleep, but on opposite sides of the bed. I snuck quietly to the one facing the window and pulled back the covers in order to get a better look.

She was so beautiful, even in sleep, but obviously drunk bordering on hungover. Under the covers, she was still fully dressed. I noticed that even though she and her companion were laying apart, their hands touched. This was the spark that ignited my anger. He didn't deserve her. I knew he didn't. Slowly, I raised the knife.

And lowered it. I couldn't do this. She didn't deserve to go like this. Defeated by myself, I trudged towards the door.

I heard the noises when I was at the entrance of the room, and stopped, frozen in fear. There as the sound the bedsprings creaking, and then quiet footsteps that could only mean one thing.

Someone was awake behind me.


	8. Mistake

_Yeah, it's been a while. Don't say anything, please…but review._

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Eight: Mistake**

**Jasper Hale**

"You know, a surprise attack in the middle of the night isn't exactly the best way to assassinate an assassin."

I started, breathing quickly, and turned around. Alice was standing right beside me, looking with amusement at my expression.

"It's very expected. You should know that. It's in all the old movies. You want any help with that?"

I struggled for words as I looked down at her She leaned against the wall, watching me. There were dark circles under her blue eyes. Her lips were full and red. That smirk was still on her face.

"Help with what?" _Oh, shit, here we go with that again._

"The knife." She grabbed it from my hand by the blade. It didn't seem to cause her any pain. "To look like you actually had the guts to kill someone."

I nodded, and she pulled me out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Shouldn't you be a little quieter?" I asked, glancing at my watch. Four-thirty AM.

She made a face. "No. Edward never wakes up before noon on a Sunday." We were in the kitchen now, in front of a cracked mirror propped up on the counter next to a black bottle. Without asking my opinion, without giving me a chance to react, she pulled off her shirt. I tried not to stare openly at the same skin I'd seen two weeks ago.

"You want it to look real, don't you?" she said when I managed to tear my eyes away from her body. She held the knife to her neck, grabbed the tiny bottle and upended it all over the blade. Something red spilled out, across the knife, down her neck and further. It was perfectly disguised, but what struck me was how comfortable she seemed with fake blood rolling down her body.

"That needs to dry for about half an hour, so you might as well stay here," she said. "You want a drink?" I shook my head and pulled a cooler out of the fridge.

"You know," she warned me, "If you let me have too many of these, I'll get drunk again and we'll probably end up making out on the couch." There was only a slight hint of sarcasm in her voice.

I moved behind the counter to hide how much I liked that thought. "And how many is 'too many?'"

"At this point?" she laughed. "Probably one."

I smiled at that, because she seemed so honest and sincere. But, then again, it was all part of that game she played with me.

~oOo~

Sometime around seven, the doorbell rang, and Alice-who had downed three coolers, a beer, and several shots (I stopped counting after seven) got up shakily and opened the door.

"Emmett!" she cried, and collapsed into the stranger's arms. He was tall and strong-looking, with dark hair and eyes that matched. I watched him, trying to figure out if there was any danger, but he just smiled and helped her back over to the couch.

"Hey, Alz," he said affectionately, tugging on her short hair. "Drunk again?"

"Maybe." The word was slurred. Emmett looked around and spotted me. His smile dropped until it turned into a disapproving frown.

"What's Jasper Hale doing here?" he asked. It didn't surprise me at all that he knew my name.

"I got lonely." Alice pouted. "Jazzy, this is Emmett. He's my anti-relative."

Emmett rolled his eyes as I shook his hand. "Be right back," he said. "I know how to handle her when she's drunk." He picked her up-she didn't seem to mind a bit-and carried her into the bathroom. I heard the shower running for two seconds, and then a loud shriek.

I had to suppress my laughter when Alice came stalking back into the room, shaking her dripping hair and glaring at…well, everything. My humor quickly disappeared, though, when she sat down and curled up against my side. It had been replaced with lust.

"You should probably get him out of here," Emmett suggested. Alice nodded stiffly and all but dragged me out of the apartment.

"If you say anything about that to Edward, you'll be sorry," she threatened as we walked to my car. "I'll bring your precious knife by later."

"Whatever," I mumbled, thinking of something else. "Hey, you still owe me a kiss, you know."

She wrinkled her nose and looked at me like she thought I was crazy. "I do?"

"Yeah. You said so earlier-that if you got drunk enough, you would kiss me." I wasn't sure if this was the right thing to say, but she smirked instead of laughing, so I guessed I was on the right track.

"Well, if you insist that's what I said…" She leaned in, and I realized too late what she was going to do.

_What the fuck? She actually meant it? Is she crazy? Does she have some sort of mental disease? How can she possibly think-_

I was the one who stopped thinking, though, when I felt her lips against mine.

_Oh, God_. It was perfect. She was perfect. With the way she was leaning against the car, I could feel every inch of her sexy little body press against me. I'd never wanted anyone as badly as I wanted her in that moment.

I pushed my hips into hers, trying to ease the pain, but her moan against my lips only made it more unbearable. _Oh, what I wouldn't give to take her home, where no one could bother us, and-_

"What the hell are you two doing?"


	9. Not a Bad Idea

_Okay, so I'm still coming up blank…I do not feel supported by your lack of support for the last chapter =/_

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Nine: Not a Bad Idea**

**Alice Brandon**

I pulled away quickly, trying to distance myself from his body. I was afraid that if I didn't, I would take him right there, without a thought about who else was watching. _Damn you, Rosalie! Why do you always have to ruin everything?_

"As usual, Rosie, I have no idea what you're talking about," I said indifferently. I was _not_ going to look at Jasper. I didn't want to see his perfect green eyes, to look at those lips that felt so wonderful pressed up against mine…

"Don't play dumb with me," Rosalie hissed, walking up so that she was next to Jasper, and I had no choice but to look at them. My heart almost stopped when I saw him, looking just as stunned as me. My eyes slowly traveled downwards until they reached the bulge in his pants, evidence as to how much he'd enjoyed kissing me.

"I know what you're trying to do," she continued, "and it's not going to work."

"Really?" I smirked, running my eyes over Jasper's body again. "It seems to me like it already has."

She looked at Jasper like she was seeing him for the first time. "What is she talking about, Jazz? What did she do to you?"

He looked down at the floor and didn't say anything, for which I was eternally grateful. I wasn't sure if I could stand her knowing how much I was attracted to her brother.

"Fine. Don't tell me. But you stay away from him." She started to drag him to the car, but he pulled away and said "Wait. Wait a minute."

I expected Rose to argue, but she just shrugged and walked away. I was left alone with Jasper, my body begging for his touch.

"Ali?" he murmured, moving so we were barely an inch apart. "Will you let me come over tomorrow night?" I closed my eyes and leaned back, away from him, only to feel his lips on my neck.

"Yes. Oh, yes. _Jasper_," I breathed. I wanted to kiss him again. Only that, and I would be fine.

Hell, who was I kidding. I wanted so much more than that.

He didn't disappoint me, leaning forward until our lips met in a moment that was more perfect than I could have ever imagined. I felt him against me, touching me in ways that turned me on more than I'd ever been. I was trapped by the feel of his body, the way he held me and kissed me so gently. It was everything I'd ever dreamed of-and yet I still wanted more.

When we pulled apart I was breathing heavily, and it took all my immense willpower not to grab him and kiss him again. He distanced himself, though, holding me at arm's length. We stared at each other for a minute, and I was once again hypnotized by his eyes.

"You should be more careful," he whispered, moving to climb into his car. I felt a sudden pain at letting him leave me.

"Wait," I said desperately, grabbing his arm. "Promise I'll see you tomorrow?"

I knew he could see the doubt and sadness in my eyes because he pulled me to him, trying to reassure me. "I promise." I felt his lips in my hair before he gently pushed me away.

When his car turned a corner and drove out of sight, I felt a small crack appear in my locked heart.

~oOo~

"You done making out with your boyfriend?" Emmett asked as I shut the door behind me. I stuck my tongue out at him as I fell onto the couch. The back of the seat still smelled of him, and I inhaled deeply, wanting to memorize his scent.

"He is not my boyfriend, and we were not _making out_," I insisted. "I was just walking him to his car."

"You didn't see what I saw," Em said, "and what I saw was that every time you turned around, he was staring at your ass."

Like any self-respecting person would, I slapped him-but it seemed to do more damage to my hand than his arm.

"Ow!" He yelped. "Sorry. It just looked a lot like you were flirting…hey, that's not a bad idea."

"What?"

"Flirt with him. Get him on your side. Then you'll have a straight shot to Rosalie."

I pretended to think about it for a minute, even though in my head I was silently screaming an answer.

_Yes._


	10. Infatuation

_Dang it, this was supposed to be up a couple days ago. Chapter Twelve (Undisclosed Desires) is going to be your late Valentine's Day present…you'll see why *devious smirk* Meanwhile, I'm arranging a birthday party for me and my fifty-nine closes acquaintances (just kidding-more like five). It should be illegal to schedule tests on people's birthdays. Just saying. And sorry this chapter's so short-the next one will be longer, I promise!_

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Ten: Infatuation**

**Alice Brandon**

They were watching me. I knew it. Even if they weren't there-if _he_ wasn't there-they could see me. Was he thinking of me? I wanted that, to be on his mind, but at the same time I was scared of what he would think.

This…this _thing_ I was about to do would be a deciding point in our "relationship" (if we even had one). It was also, in a way, a judgment for me to make on myself. I had no experience with seducing men, and for it I would require more premeditation, hence this act I was about to commit.

Taking a deep breath, I picked up the phone.

He answered on the first ring, and the sound of his voice almost made me forget my well-thought-out plan.

"Ali?"

I took another breath, a shuddering, nervous one, then composed myself enough to answer in my best seductive voice.

"Hi, Jazz."

I could almost hear his interest peak at this. I'd never used a nickname on him before, but judging by the way I felt when he called me _Ali_, it seemed like a good idea.

"I need to cancel our plans for tonight." I said. "I'm so sorry. Can we move them to this Saturday?"

"Yeah," he answered eagerly. "Definitely…why?"

"Oh, no reason. So I'll see you soon?"

"Of course," he replied. "I'll come over at seven."

"Don't be late," I insisted, and then hung up, feeling the satisfaction of a job well done.


	11. Time Is Running Out

_So, I've got absolutely nothing to say. Isn't it weird that in my A/Ns for "Almost Alice" I said so much, and then for other stories I barely say anything?_

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Eleven: Time Is Running Out**

**Jasper Hale**

To say that I was nervous as I stood in front of her apartment door was an understatement. My hands were shaking so hard I feared I might drop the single red rose I'd bought on a whim while driving over. I wasn't exactly sure why I'd done it, but at the time it seemed like a good idea.

She knew I was there, standing at her door, and eventually she would either let me in or just let me stand outside until, dejected, I left. But after a good ten minutes of waiting she opened the door, and I gasped silently.

As always, the word_ beautiful_ came to mind when I looked at her. She was dressed in a white tank top under a black off-one-shoulder shirt, paired with heels and what were possibly the tightest jeans I'd ever seen. I could tell she wasn't wearing anything under them, and the thought made my cock stir.

"Hey," she said, looking down to the flower in my hand. "Is that for me?"

I nodded, speechless, and held it out to her.

"Aw, that's so sweet," she said, taking it from me. There was barely a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She dropped it in a vase that was waiting, water-filled, on a bookshelf by the door. She probably had cameras all over the building if she'd known to get it ready.

She noticed my confused and wondering look and smiled. The sight seemed to light up the room. I knew for myself how rare a killer's smiles were, and for me to come by one with barely any effort was an accomplishment. Everything suddenly seemed brighter, happier, even in the ill-lit, messy apartment.

"Should we go?" she asked, holding out her tiny hand. I hesitated for all of half a second before I took it, feeling a warmth run through me at the feel of her skin. It reminded me of a week ago, when she'd begun to trust me only to have that trust interrupted.

If I could get her to overlook her hateful feelings for Rosalie, it could be considered a miracle. I wasn't sure exactly what happened that day three years ago. To Rose it was hell without Edward, and Alice was her version of the devil. It was the same for Ali, only vice versa. She openly despised Rose and everything she stood for.

While I was thinking this she led me to a silver Volvo in the parking garage. She opened the passenger side door and motioned for me to get in.

I hesitated, then held out the red velvet box. "This is for you."

"Isn't it a little soon to be giving me presents?" she teased, taking the box and opening it. Her eyes widened when she saw what was inside.

I'd given her a necklace, with three attached hearts dangling from the silver-link chain. She held it almost with a reverence, looking at me with a new light in her eyes.

"Nobody's given me anything like this in years," she said. There was no _thank you_, but for me, that simple statement would suffice.

~oOo~

"So how did you know I would bring you the flower?" I asked on the drive there. I was all ready to prove my hidden-camera theory, but she surprised me with her answer.

"I'm not sure. It seemed like kind of a first-date thing to do."

"This is a date?" I smiled.

"I didn't know what else to call it."

"What does Edward think about you being on a 'date' with me?"

"He doesn't know. I left him a note. But can we please not talk about him?"

I saw the annoyance in her eyes and changed the subject. "Where are we going?"

She smirked and rolled her eyes at my impatience. "Wait and see."

It was about five minutes later when she drove through the front gate of a big house and parked the car in the circle drive. She climbed out and motioned for me to follow, but I sat staring at the house instead.

"Whose house is this?" I asked, slightly worried that we were trespassing.

"Mine."

I didn't say anything else, so she continued. "I inherited it when my mother died."

"Cancer? Old age? Accident?" I suggested. I knew it was wrong to pry, but I wanted to know more about her.

She smiled, but it was short-lived, and then her face was drawn. "Murder."

Everything suddenly fell into place with that one word. Why she insisted we not talk about Edward. Why she seemed happier when he wasn't around. Every hate-filled glare she gave him in my presence suddenly made sense.

"Come on," she said, and turned around, cleverly hiding her tears.

~oOo~

Two hours later we were curled up on her bed, half-watching old reruns while we attempted to carry on a conversation. Alice was on her seventh beer since we'd arrived. I could smell it on her breath, and I desperately wanted to taste it.

The whole left side of my body was warm from her pressing up against it. I had the most massive hard-on from what she was doing to me-and judging by the look on her face, she knew it too.

"Jazzy?" she asked, running her fingertips along my chest. _Damn._ She'd given me a nickname. It was probably the sexiest thing any girl had ever done to me in a long time.

"Hmm?"

She pressed closer, and I could feel her hot breath against my neck.

"I was thinking that there's something I want to try…"

_I think I'm drowning  
__Asphyxiated  
__I wanna break the spell  
That you've created  
__You're something beautiful  
__A contradiction  
__I wanna play the game  
__I want the friction_


	12. Undisclosed Desires

_WARNING: MATURE CONTENT. DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE UNDER SIXTEEN._

**Assassin**

**Chapter Twelve: Undisclosed Desires**

**Jasper Hale**

"Really? Like what?" My hand made its way to her bare shoulder and started to caress her skin. She rested her head by my neck, lightly running her lips over the skin there.

"This," she said breathlessly. "But more. Much more."

I was warring with my self-control by the time she said that. Part of me wanted to just bury myself in her and fuck her senseless, but a smaller part warned me that it would end badly. It wasn't right. But damn, the things she could do to me with that delicious body of hers…

"Mmm…" she moaned quietly when my hand slipped lower, pushing the sleeve of her shirt down farther. Her porcelain skin was soft and warm, inviting me to touch more of it.

I pushed her onto the bed and moved to hover over her. I could feel her breath on my lips, coming in short, shallow pants.

"Jazz," she moaned. "Please…"

Reminding myself to go slow and make this last, I leaned down and kissed her. Her lips molded perfectly to my own, like they were meant to be there. I lowered myself onto her, letting her feel my already-hard cock, and she gasped into my mouth.

"_Ohhh_…" Her open mouth was a perfect invitation for me, and I slid my tongue in. I wanted to know all of her, to be sure that every inch of her body belonged to me. One of my hands made its way down to cup her breast, massaging her through the thin fabric.

My movements stilled out of shock and pleasure when she started to push her hips into mine. She was unbuttoning my shirt, running her hands and lips over every patch of skin she could reach as it was exposed. Soon after the shirt was fully off, discarded on the floor, she pulled back to look at me.

Her eyes were bright and desire-filled against the background of delicately flushed skin. Her lips were red and swollen from my kisses. She was perfect. She was _mine_.

"Do you trust me?" she asked. There was something in her face that made me want to say yes.

_This isn't right._

There was a light in her eyes that made me want to agree.

_This is dangerous._

_But God, it feels so damn good._

I nodded, because it seemed like I'd suddenly lost the ability to speak. There was that smile again. It made me wonder what exactly I'd just agreed to.

I was unprepared as she pushed me onto my back, kissing me the whole time. I looked up at her with the question in my eyes, but she just giggled and put a finger to my lips.

"I get to go first," she said.

With that, she began trailing her hands and lips over my body, kissing where my neck and shoulder met while she caressed down my abdomen. I felt her hand move lower, followed by her lips, until she was licking just above the waistband of my jeans and palming my cock through the fabric. I pushed against her, groaning at the friction.

She smirked and undid the button on my jeans, then the zipper, applying pressure so I could feel her running it down the entire length of my straining cock. She pulled them off (they joined my shirt on the floor) and leaned down to kiss me through the boxers while I pushed against her mouth. I made sure it wasn't hard enough to hurt, but she pressed harder, seeming to enjoy the pain.

'You like that, don't you, baby?" I murmured in between gasps of pleasure. "You like my cock against your mouth, don't you?"

She nodded, leaning away to pull my boxers down. I fisted my hands in her hair as she stroked up and down my length.

"Ohh…that feels good. Suck me," I gasped. "I want to fuck that sexy mouth of yours."

The smirk came back, and I knew I was playing right into her hands, but I didn't care. She could do whatever she wanted with me. At that point, I didn't give a damn.

I watched her intently as she leaned towards me, meeting my eyes for a split second before the leaned down and licked the pre-cum off the tip of my cock. Slowly, painfully slowly, she took me into her mouth, her little hands massaging what she couldn't reach. It felt so damn good, I was sure that I wasn't going to last. It'd been so long since I'd done this with anyone. For a moment I wondered why it was Alice I would choose for this, but I pushed the though out of my mind.

I moaned loudly as she began moving up and down over me, sucking at the same time, creating a delicious friction. She was moaning, too, and I realized with a shock that her hips were moving, pushing into the mattress, and the hand not rubbing my cock was down her jeans. The sight of her pleasuring herself turned me on even more, and I could feel myself fast approaching an orgasm.

"Ohh…damn, baby, that feels good. I'm gonna come," I gasped, fisting my hands in her short hair. She picked up the pace, sucking harder, and suddenly I couldn't hold on any longer.

I moaned her name along with other incomprehensible things as I came, watching her swallow everything I gave her. Those blue eyes flickered up to meet mine. The emotions in them surprised me-there was lust, plain and obvious, but also a hint of something deeper. I didn't imagine it was guilt, because if it was she wouldn't be doing this, but what else would have that intensity?

She pulled away, breaking any kind of contact as she moved. Now she was over me, hands and knees on either side of my body, but we did not touch.

_Well, that needs to change_, I thought as I grabbed her hips and pulled her down to kiss her. She met my lips eagerly, seeking out my tongue with hers. I reached down to touch her through her soaked jeans. My other hand ran up and down her back, pushing her into me. After a few minutes of this, she pulled away, evading my hands, and laid down on her back, watching me expectantly.

"Your turn," she said.

I suppressed a groan as I looked at her, waiting for me. She was so beautiful. Perfection. And for that moment, she was mine.

I leaned down and pressed my lips to her shoulder, my hands searching for the bottom of her shirt. When I found it, I grabbed the thin fabric and pulled it off her. The tank top she'd been wearing instead of a bra followed soon after, and I stopped for a moment to stare openly at her body.

Her skin was a creamy color that looked much too close to white to be healthy, but she pulled it off. I let my hands trail over that skin-down past her shoulders and over her breasts until I reached her nipples, rolling them between my fingers. She arched her back and let out a low moan that got louder as I leaned down and took her nipple in my mouth. My now-free hand wandered lower, undoing the button and zipper of her jeans and pulling them down.

I could feel the erratic thumping of her heart and each shuddering breath she took as I slowly slid her jeans off her, then trailed my hands back up her legs, stopping just below where I knew she wanted me. She whimpered my name in one last desperate plea-the one that worked.

I moved my hand up and gently parted her folds, taking my mouth off her nipple and moving down to her clit. The second my lips made contact with it she moaned and shuddered, giving me all the encouragement I needed to continue. I sucked at her clit and pushed two fingers inside her pussy. She was so tight and hot. And wet. I didn't think I could take much more. I had to have her.

Before I could chicken out and change my mind, I pulled away from her, ignoring her groan of protest, and moved up until the head of my cock was against her entrance. She looked up at me with that desire-filled gaze that nearly stopped my heart. But right as I was about to push into her the image hit me so hard I gasped and pulled away.

They were all faces, that much was obvious, but it was the binding factor that made me rethink what I was about to do. Edward. Rosalie. Maria. All the people I would hurt if I did this. And I couldn't stand hurting that many people.

She watched me as I reached for my clothes with shaking hands.

"What's going on?"

I shook my head as I pulled on my boxers, then my jeans. "I can't. I'm sorry."

The emotions played out across her face-denial to anger to annoyance. "Why not?"

I slipped on my shoes and headed for the door. I wouldn't look back. No.

"I just can't."

_I wanted freedom_

_Bound and restricted_

_I tried to give you up_

_But I'm addicted_

_Now that you know I'm trapped_

_Sense of elation_

_You'd never dream of_

_Breaking this fixation_


	13. Aftermath

_Wow, I'm on a roll…I don't think I've updated this frequently since I started the story…a little sad, but hope you like! Review!_

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Thirteen: Aftermath**

**Alice Brandon**

_The idiot left his shirt_, I thought, reaching down to pick it up off the floor. I briefly considered calling him back to get it, but I wouldn't. There was no damn way he'd want to see me after that. Besides, him coming back to get it would be practically an excuse to see me. I could use that to my advantage.

I slumped into the bed and reached for my phone. The number was first on my speed dial. Hopefully she would pick up at this time of night…

"Hello?" I asked sleepily.

"Bella?" I was surprised by how timid my voice sounded. I was broken, torn apart, and definitely acting like it.

"Ali? Is that you?" I could almost hear her interest peak, her concern.

"Yeah. Can…can you come see me tomorrow?"

"What happened?" Typical Bella. She always knew when I was upset.

I stayed quiet, hoping that she would understand that I didn't want to talk about it over the phone.

"Okay, I guess…you'll tell me tomorrow?"

I let out the breath I'd unconsciously been holding. "Yeah. I can't. Not right now."

"Okay…" Her voice was sleepy again. "Bye, Ali."

I hung up, tossing the phone onto the nightstand. As I pulled the covers up I remembered his shirt, and I grabbed it from where it had fallen on the floor. It smelled like him. Of course it did. Warm and familiar and…I sighed. There were no words to describe this.

What was I doing? Giving myself up to a man I barely knew. I wasn't like that. I wouldn't be. I was stronger than that-my three years with Edward had proved it.

Unfortunately, my heart hadn't quite figured that out yet. And for the first time in a long time, I felt no regret as I hugged his shirt to my chest and fell asleep.

~oOo~

Dawn was already starting to lighten the sky when I woke up the next morning inhaling his scent. I sat up and stretched, looking at the piece of forest-green fabric in my lap. The mail would be here soon-the paper. And the boy who delivered it.

I stood up quickly. I had-if I was lucky-maybe five minutes. I grabbed a pair of boy shorts from the dresser closest to me and pulled them on-and then I stopped, looking at Jasper's shirt. Hmm. He probably wouldn't mind if I used it…and I slid it on, doing the buttons. It covered me almost down to my knees.

I slipped on a pair of black flats and ran out the front door, down the gravel pathway until I reached the gate. There was a keypad on the brick wall, far enough away from the wrought-iron gates that no one could reach it from the outside. With the push of a button, the gates opened and I slipped outside.

Just in time, too-I could hear his bicycle bell ringing. He always did it, three times when he passed my house, and I would come out if I was home. It was rare that I was ever at the house this early in the morning, so it would be a nice surprise for him.

"Hey, paper boy!" I yelled. "Over here!"

"Ali?" His voice was higher than usual from excitement and shock as he abandoned the bike and ran to meet me. There was a crash as it hit the ground, the sound of shoes hitting pavement, and then I was swept into the crushing embrace of Seth Clearwater.

Seth and I had known each other since I was four, because our mothers had been good friends. He was a lot nicer than his bitchy sister Leah. And even though I was older, he towered a good foot over me.

"Ali! It is you?" He picked me up and swung me around in a circle while I laughed. It was impossible not to be happy around him. "You're really here!" He set me down gently and I leaned against the wall, looking him over.

"You're taller," I accused.

He retaliated with "You're shorter," and then he looked at me properly and his eyes widened. "And wearing someone else's shirt."

"Yeah."

"What did you do this time?" He smirked. "Or should I say _who_?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. Wait until Bella gets here."

"You called Bella?"

I nodded.

"Oh, no. This is bad."

I bit my lip as I considered something. "You live next door to the Hales, right?"

"Yeah."

I felt my lips curl up into my signature smirk, the one that said I was planning something. "Perfect."

~oOo~

It was almost an hour before Bella showed up. I sat on the wide bottom stop of the porch as I waited. Seth was kicking a soccer ball around on the vast expanse of the lawn when she pulled up in her ancient Chevy truck. She threw the door open, leaving the engine idling, and ran over to me.

"Ali?" Her voice was panicked as she hovered over me. "Baby, what 's wrong?"

The sound of that old, familiar nickname (even though I was a year older than her, she was taller-it was a shortening of "baby sister") was what did it-I broke down and slumped over, taking a shuddery breath as I began to sob.

She had her arms around me, murmuring comforting words only meant for me to hear. Seth ran over-the soccer ball lay abandoned in the middle of the yard-and scooped me up like I didn't weigh eighty-nine pounds. He carried me into the house while Bella followed anxiously, laying me down on the couch so my head rested on her lap. She held me as I cried, wiped the unfamiliar moisture from my face, told me everything would be okay even though I knew it wouldn't be.

After I'd calmed down and the sobs turned into quiet whimpers, she said "What happened?"

I tensed up as the memories flooded back. The gentle yet passionate way he kissed me, touched me. How good he felt against me. I felt the familiar longing for him and pushed it away roughly. I wasn't going to deal with that now.

"You remember Rose?" My voice was little more than a hoarse whisper. "Rosalie Hale, from high school?"

"Slutty Rosie? 'Course I do." Her eyes got big and she covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. "You didn't _do_ her, did you?"

"Nah," Seth said. "That's a guy's shirt. It…" He trailed off, eyes widening like Bella's, and reached out to touch the collar of Jasper's shirt.

"You didn't," he whispered.

I nodded guiltily, sitting up with one hand on Bella's shoulder, and looked down at the fabric he'd touched. The letters _JWH_ were embroidered in cream-colored thread on the collar. Of course,

"I did. But if you mean what I think you mean, then I didn't. He left me to take care of myself." I grimaced as I remembered how I'd solved my sleeplessness earlier that morning.

"I'm sure he did." He paused and looked at me suspiciously. "You know, he doesn't do that with anyone anymore. Not even that girl he claims he loves."

I thought about that as my fingers absentmindedly traced the lettering on the shirt. "What does the W stand for?"

"Technically, it stands for Wyatt. That's his middle name. But he likes to tell people it's for Whitlock instead."

"Why?" I asked, mystified.

"He was adopted. That's his real last name. Like how you tell people your last name's Brandon when it's really-"

I clamped my hand over his mouth. "Seth, I'm not in the mood to talk about this."

"Sorry." He grinned sheepishly.

Bella, who'd been quiet through most of the exchange, finally spoke up. "Wait. I still don't get it. Who's the guy?"

I took a deep breath. "Slutty Rosie's brother."

Bella's jaw dropped, while Seth asked "Why can't we just say his name?"

I covered his mouth again.

"Why," Bella whispered, "would you do something like that with _him_?"

"I'm not exactly sure. But don't worry, Bells. I've got a plan."

"What?" Seth asked eagerly.

I smirked. "Jacob."


	14. Compromise

_Yay, chapter 14! Seriously, it's been forever since I've updated this month! Anyone who wants to get killed off in the story (it's DancingQueen8417 this chapter…) just let me know-I'll put you in the story. Fer realz. =) And I'm posting a couple pictures on my Twitter-Alice's necklace and the "Sexagon," the six main characters (Alice, Jasper, Edward, Bella, Emmett, and Rosie) with all the ways they're connected. I'm fully expecting some comments on that if you can understand it =)_

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Fourteen: Compromise**

**Alice Brandon**

Jacob Black was a well-built eighteen-year-old, the youngest member of a killing gang who called themselves the "Werewolves." I'd tried several times to get into them, but been (figuratively) shot down. They were all guys, except for Leah-Seth's aforementioned bitchy older sister-and she was only a part of their "pack" because of her skills-and the fact that she'd threatened to sue.

We hadn't seen each other in a while-almost five months-so he was surprised when I asked him to come over, but I had no doubt he knew the situation. My suspicions were confirmed when the first thing he said after looking me over was "Why the hell are you wearing Jasper Whitlock's shirt?"

None of us noticed how Bella sucked in a sharp breath at his name. At the moment, I didn't really give a damn. Nobody was paying attention to her, anyway.

"Funny you should ask," I replied, motioning for him to sit down next to me. "That's actually why you're here."

He sighed-this was a conversation we'd had several times. "You want him to see you hanging all over me in public so he'll be jealous and want you back."

I hesitated, biting my lip. "I was thinking we'd take it a little farther this time."

He opened his mouth to argue, but I quickly hurried on, cutting him off. "Look. He lives next door to the Clearwaters." I gestured vaguely to the kitchen, where Seth was making himself a cup of coffee. "We have a room there, and it faces his house. Leave the window open a little." I smirked and draped myself over his legs. "No big deal."

"You're doing it again," he murmured, stroking my hair.

"What?" I'd unconsciously relaxed, grown less worried and tense. It was so easy to be comfortable around him. Almost normal. This was more than I could've hoped for.

"Turning it into something logical so I have no choice but to agree with you. It's a talent of yours." He tugged on my hair to pull me up so I was at his eye level. "I noticed that when I met you."

I sighed, any trace of a smile gone, and slid away from him. "No, Jake. Not now."

He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them they were filled with an age-old sadness, one that was familiar as the sound of my own voice.

"I miss us," he said.

"What do you mean? We're right here."

"No. I mean the way we used to be, when I was more to you than a backup fuck for when you want to make some guy jealous. And I have a girlfriend, you know."

Sadly, that was the truth. I vaguely remembered his girlfriend, Morgan Howard-an easily offended brunette who had forbidden me from seeing Jake for the rest of her life. Luckily, I'd taken care of that little problem.

"Jake?" I asked hesitantly. "When was the last time you saw her?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Couple weeks ago. She's not answering her phone…" He trailed off as he grasped the full meaning of my words. "You didn't."

"Sorry." I tried my best to look innocent when, in fact, he knew all too well that I wasn't.

"Right. Sure you are. So let me get this straight." He paused. "You want me to let you hang all over me so you can fuck Whitlock."

Bella made a gagging noise.

"Yup. And then you can go to the cemetery and talk to your dead girlfriend."

"Whoa. Wait." Seth had just come out of the kitchen with his cup of coffee in hand. "Morgan's dead?"

Jacob nodded, stuck between anger and grief.

To his everlasting credit, Seth didn't break down. He just said "Oh" and went back to his coffee.

Jake stood up suddenly-thrown off, I suspected, by Seth's lack of sadness-and grabbed my hand. "Let's go, Ali."

I nodded and followed him out, but then stopped him by Edward's car.

"Wait," I said as I opened the door and grabbed the little red box off the driver's seat. After a moment of internal hesitation, I put it in my pocket instead of hanging the silver charm around my neck.

Three hearts. The ones on the end connected to the middle one but not touching each other. I wondered if he realized how realistic that was. But I wasn't going to wear it. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.


	15. Betrayal

_Yay, chapter 15! Oh, I don't have anything to say…_

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Fifteen: Betrayal**

**Jasper Whitlock**

I was halfway home before I realized I didn't have a shirt.

_Damn_, I thought to myself, wondering how I could've been so stupid. I normally didn't let my thoughts get so lust-clouded, but there was something about her…I couldn't put the image of her face out of my head. Eyes closed, lips parted, moaning from the pleasure I could bring her…

I mentally slapped myself. _Fuck, Whitlock, if you don't concentrate on the road you're gonna kill yourself._

_But maybe it would be worth it…if she didn't want me…_

~oOo~

When I woke up the next morning, I wasn't quite sure how I'd made it home. I was in my own bedroom, though, so where else could I be? It was probably around noon already-the sun shone brightly through the blinds and I found myself squinting against it. A car engine hummed outside. Probably Jacob Black visiting the Clearwaters. Not that I cared.

I dragged myself out of bed and downstairs to the front door. There was a glider on the porch, and recently it had become my only sanctuary. If Rose wasn't up yet-and it wasn't likely she was-I might get a few minutes of solitude.

The universe didn't want me to be alone (or happy) that morning, because when my vision finally adjusted I found Bailey Miskers sitting on the glider, rocking back and forth as she looked at me.

"I need to tell you something," she said, running her fingers through her long, dark hair.

Normally I counted Bailey as my closest friend, but bombarding me with information after I'd just woken up? That was too much. Unless it was about…

"Where did you get it from?" I sat down next to her and leaned back.

"The mansion house of Alice Cullen."

_Of course_. "You have cameras there? Did you see…" I trailed off in utter disbelief as her words sunk in. "_Cullen_? Did you just say Alice _Cullen_?"

"Yeah. They're a thing. Like a married thing.

I slumped over and put my head in my hands. Married. She and Edward were _married_. Why didn't that surprise me?

"And yes," she continued, "I did see her give you a blowjob. Not your finest moment, you know. You were practically begging for it."

I rolled my eyes. Yes, Bailey wouldn't enjoy seeing that as much as some other girls (namely Rosalie) would. Bay had never made a secret of the fact that she was lesbian, and although it was sometimes a little weird, mostly it was nice, because I didn't have to worry about her sizing me up as boyfriend material.

"You know, you really shouldn't spy on people like that."

"I don't really care. Now, do you want to know what I heard?"

"What?"

She opened her mouth to speak, then shut it with an audible snap as she watched Jacob's Volkswagen Rabbit pulling into the Clearwater's driveway.

"That," she said, pointing to the passenger side door.

I watched as he walked around and opened the door, catching a glimpse of pale skin and dark hair before he lifted someone very small out of the seat.

Alice.

Wearing my shirt.

For someone that everybody (but me) knew was married, she sure got around.

"Why is Jacob bringing the trash inside instead of leaving it on the curb?"

I smirked. Of course she would say something like that. Bailey absolutely _loathed_ Alice. I wasn't quite sure why. But I had to admit it was funny, watching her watch them. Strangely amusing.

All the humor vanished as I looked back at them, though. I'd never really liked Jacob, but this sealed my hatred. I watched him kiss all over her neck, clenching my hand around the arm of the glider. What made it worse was that she was moaning just like I'd imagined-only in my fantasies _I_ was the one making those delicious sounds come out of her mouth.

"What is _she_ doing here?" Rose's high, irritated voice cut through the fantasies I'd delved back into.

"Trying to make him jealous." Bay jerked her head at me and then went back to staring absentmindedly into the distance.

"Huh." Rose looked over at me. "I guess you affected her more than you thought. We could use that to our advantage."

I blocked her out as I watched the door slam behind them, effectively blocking her from my sight.


	16. Ulterior Motives

_So, I have a cramp in my hand and my eyes are burning from staring at the screen, but it was worth it. I'm surprised none of you mentioned anything about Alice and Edward being married. Hopefully I'll get some comments about it this time._

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Sixteen: Ulterior Motives**

**Jasper Whitlock**

I raised my fist to knock on the door-and then hesitated. There was no doubt in my mind that she didn't want to see me. So why was I about to demand that she answer the door? One question-one word-circled around in my mind, propelling my hand forward. The door opened before I could knock.

There she was again, arms wrapped tightly around his waist as she struggled to keep her balance. She was drunk-she always was. But as soon as she noticed who was standing there, a wide smirk spread across her face. Yes, her plan had worked-I was jealous of the way she clung to him.

"Can I help you?" he asked, voice icy. I ignored him, though, and focused on Alice.

"I need to talk to you," I said.

She giggled (exactly how wasted _was_ she?) and reached for my hand, all the time mumbling a very slurred "okay." As soon as she let go of Jacob she stumbled. I caught her out of reflex, but soon was aware of how close her body was to mine. She leaned into me, wrapping her arms around my neck for support. A soft moan escaped her lips as she shakily trailed her fingers down my chest.

"Good luck getting her up the stairs." Jacob smirked.

Still ignoring his presence, I leaned down and carefully lifted her into my arms. She was lighter than I expected, even with her size, and extremely warm. She moaned again and burrowed her head where my neck and shoulder met. I staggered up the stairs and down a short hallway until she raised her head and pointed at an open door.

It was dark, and the only furniture was two nightstands and a king-sized bed that looked like it had been recently slept in. I laid her down there and turned around. I wouldn't look at her-I wasn't sure if I could bear it.

Quiet, steady footsteps sounded behind me, though, and I glanced over my shoulder only to find her face inches from mine. She wasn't drunk at all-it was an act, though I was sure she'd had something. I could smell it on her breath. But she was holding herself up, keeping her gaze locked on me-with a knife in her hand.

I automatically turned to face her as I backed away from the weapon. Why hadn't I expected her to be armed? She always was-most likely if I went through her bedroom at the Brandon mansion I would find another knife just like this one.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

I stepped forward cautiously-just enough to get a better view of her in the dark room. I only had one question for her.

"Why?"

She bit her lip as she considered this, then tossed the knife across the room. It left a white spot in the deep red paint on the walls.

"Why Jake?" She'd turned to face the one window and was staring at the blinds. "Because ever since I met him he's been someone to fall back on."

"Even for this?" I asked in disbelief.

"_Especially_ for this." There was a smile in her voice that I didn't quite understand. "He knows me better than anyone. Even Edward."

I stayed silent when she mentioned his name, and she picked up on the reason for it.

"I'm sorry you had to find out that way," she whispered. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

I wasn't going to respond. I wouldn't give in.

"Jazz." She turned around and walked up to me. "I don't love him. I never did. The only reason I married him was to gain innocence in the eyes of the people. Being a Cullen is practically synonymous with being an angel here."

She was right. The Cullens were practically worshipped in Amber Falls. The father, Carlisle, worked at the hospital and was infallible in all medical matters. His wife Esme was known for her kind heart and generosity. Emmett had gone to Ohio State University on a football scholarship. Edward-though he didn't attend college-had gotten perfect grades all through high school. And Alice…she was still a Brandon, no matter what her legal last name was. She would never fit into the stereotype the rest of her family had created.

"I don't love him," she whispered, taking my face in her tiny hands.

I leaned towards her unconsciously, feeling her warm breath fan across my face. She lightly brushed her lips against mine, then pressed down with more force, more emotion. She moaned into my mouth and I pushed my hips into hers. No, this wasn't enough. We fell onto the bed tangled together, needing more of each other.

"No." She pushed me away from her, breathing heavily, and tried to get out from under me.

"No," she repeated, a bit more firmly. "Don't. Please."

I pulled away, and she glared at me with pure loathing in her normally bright eyes. "I'm not going to let you distract me."

"What?"

She sighed and rolled over, which gave me an extremely good view of her legs.

"You seem to be under the impression that I actually like you. I think you need to know that you're wrong."

I looked at her, all my questions evident on my face, and she smirked.

"I'm using you, Jasper."

The use of my full name for the first time in a week should've been my first clue, but like the idiot I was I continued to stare blankly.

She sighed. "Look. You are currently part of a diabolical plot that was devised to get to you sister as per Emmett's recommendation. In exactly five days you are going to receive a mysterious letter detailing a rendezvous point where you are to meet me next Saturday. Bring a new shirt." She smirked at me.

My voice was quiet. "You used me."

"I did."

"And you don't regret it."

She shook her head. "The fact that you think I could regret means that you know absolutely nothing about me."

"Right. You don't regret."

The smirk was in place again as she watched me leave the room, and her last words echoed in my head.

"Maybe I won't regret this, but you will."


	17. Home

**Assassin**

**Chapter Seventeen: Home**

**Alice Cullen**

_I woke up this morning_

_And now I understand_

_What it means to give your love_

_To just one man_

_Afraid of feeling nothing_

_No bees or butterflies_

_My head is full of voices_

_And my house is full of lies_

_This is home_

He would know where I'd been-I was sure of it. There would be an interrogation. Questions. Answers-but reluctant ones. Pain.

Maybe, if I was lucky, I could fend him off for a few minutes. I was handy with the knife, and relatively strong. But he was faster, and he would catch up to me. There would be pain then.

I would invite it, though-welcome it. If it would get me away from the emotional torture I was going through, it would be worth it.

_I found you standing there_

_When you were seventeen_

_And now you're twenty-two and I can't_

_Remember what I've seen in you and_

_I made a promise_

_Sought it every day_

_Now I'm reading romance novels_

_And dreaming of yesterday_

_This is home_

~oOo~

"Well, _you_ look like you had fun," he said as I walked through the door.

"Not really," I replied, fingering the collar of my new shirt. "He couldn't decide what he wanted. Or finish what he started."

I wasn't expecting sympathy, but it still surprised me when he laughed. "I didn't think he would. A lot of people are unsure when it comes to you."

I bit my lip, hesitating. "He found out."

"Of course he did. You can't keep a secret, Al. I'm surprised you're aren't already in prison for being a murderer."

My teeth dug into the skin, and I tasted blood. "How can you be so emotionless? So…so…uncaring?" My voice cracked. "I just broke someone."

I expected an apology-or that's what I wanted-but instead his lips spread into a slow smile, and he started to laugh.

"What?" I demanded. "What is so funny?"

He shook his head, clutching his sides. "You. You're gone, Al."

I raised an eyebrow at him as his laughter subsided. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"Consider it. You haven't been able to quit thinking about him since you met. You spend all this time imagining ways to get him to notice you. _You dream about him._ I know you do."

My mouth fell open, and I shut it with an audible click. "How do you know that?"

"You say his name in your sleep."

I blushed. Of course I did. Edward constantly made fun of me for being a sleep-talker. I knew he stayed awake to listen to me sometimes, too. And, as much as I didn't like to think about it, I had dreamed of Jasper much more often than I cared to admit.

"Not to mention you're wearing his shirt," he continued, and I quickly pulled my hand away from the offensive green fabric. "And…"

He stepped forward until we were almost touching and fingered the silver chain around my neck.

"How accurate this is," he murmured. "Does he know _that_?"

I shook my head, and he sighed.

"We need a safe place for you after this weekend," he continued, more to himself than to me. "After…it falls."

"Why can't it be here?"

"Because they know to much. They'll guess that you're with me-and they'd be right."

"Oh. Of course." I turned away from him, towards the bedroom. "I need to sleep."

"Okay," he said softly. "You do that. In the meantime, I'll make a safe place for you."

He would. I trusted him to. But how he would react to the…_depth_ of my feelings, I didn't know.

_I woke this morning_

_To the sound of breaking hearts_

_Mine is full of questions_

_And it's tearing yours apart_


	18. Disgusting

**Assassin**

**Chapter Eighteen: Disgusting**

**Alice Cullen**

I knew I shouldn't have slept earlier. It was a bad idea. Here I was, at one in the morning, and I hadn't been able to sleep for three hours.

Edward was breathing deeply, holding my head on his chest. He was still possessive of me, despite my lack of interest and enthusiasm. Three years of being together had made a lasting impression-he wasn't ready to let me go yet.

For the past five minutes I'd been struggling to free myself from his arms, to no avail. It was only a halfhearted attempt, though-he wouldn't be letting go anytime soon, not to mention the fact that I was dead tired. I slumped against him, admitting defeat but not entirely accepting it.

These were not the arms I wanted-they hadn't been for a long time. My problem was that I had too clear a picture of what I _did_ want. But he hated me. I would, too, if I were him.

_Damn you, Jasper Whitlock…Hale…whatever your real last name is. May you rot in hell for all of eternity. Maybe I'll join you someday._

~oOo~

Another half hour later I was still awake, cursing him and myself internally as I waited for the phone to stop ringing.

Ring. _He's not going to answer._

Ring. _He's not going to answer._

Ring. _He's not going to answer._

Ring. "Hello?" _Damn it! He answered!_

"Jazz?" I hated the way my voice sounded-hoarse from lack of sleep and soft with fear. This wasn't who I was. No. I wouldn't let it be.

A deep sigh sounded-crackly because of terrible reception-and a second later he asked "What do you want, Alice?"

Alice. _Ouch_. What happened to my nickname? Of course, he would stop using it. He hated me.

"I can't sleep."

His immediate turnaround shocked me-his voice was gentler, more concerned. "Do you want me to come over?"

"No!" I said quickly. And it was true. I didn't want him to drive all the way across town in the storm that was going on right then-just because of a little insomnia.

"Ali, I'm parked a block away. Rose kicked me out and, to be honest, even your run-down little shack is probably safer than my car right now."

"Did you just call my apartment a shack?"

"That's what it is. No one else even lives in that building. It's run-down and…well, it's a shack."

"Stop being so mean," I whined. "Just get over here."

"All right," he said, and hung up.

_Who does he think he is? Insulting the apartment I bought with my own money? The entire damn _building_ I had to buy so we could live here? Granted, I could afford something a little ritzier, but…it would be too easy…to find…_

I shook my head, struggling to keep awake as I carefully freed myself from Edward's arms. Standing up was a challenge, one that I welcomed, but I found myself clenching my teeth so as not to groan in frustration when I slammed into the opposite wall, dizzy from alcohol and lack of sleep. I found a t-shirt on the floor-Edward's, probably-and slipped it on to block out the suddenly cold air. It slid on easily over the think tank top and shorts I'd gone to bed in.

Now the real challenge-getting to the front door to let him in. I moved slowly, leaning against the wall because my shaky legs didn't seem to want to hold me up. As soon as I stepped into the hallway I fell into the other wall, my fingers struggling to find purchase on the flat surface. The door to the apartment was on the opposite wall as the bedroom, and I hated that.

Right when I got to the door, I heard the strangest sound. It was one I hadn't heard for a while, but I knew what it was. Someone was picking the lock.

I froze, grabbing a knife from the table by the door with the hand not clenched into a fist. Whoever was behind the door opened it slowly, stepping into the darkness and closing it behind him.

I flicked on the light.

"Oh," I breathed, struggling to keep my balance. "It's you."

He smiled, as if he'd been expecting me like this, and gently removed the knife from my hand. "Just me." He set the blade down where I'd found it and stepped back to look at me. "You look dead on your feet."

I nodded, making this pathetic little "mm-hmm" sound as I tried to step towards him, but lost my balance. He caught and held me, against his chest, warm and steady and…

God, what was wrong with me?

I struggled to pull away after that thought, but he was stronger than me, not to mention wide awake. I was stuck in his arms for the time being, and loathing every second of it.

"What's wrong?" he asked, holding me closer-the exact opposite of what I wanted. Or, at least, that's what I told myself.

"Nothing. Let go of me."

"All right." He took a step back, releasing me from his arms, and I immediately needed to grab onto the doorframe to stay upright. I managed a few steps away from him, but stumbled and collapsed on the floor.

He sighed and shook his head while I glared at him. "Does the couch pull out?"

I nodded. He got to work setting it up, muttering something about how he wasn't going to let me out of his sight after this. I stared, watching how the muscles in his arms flexed, and feeling utterly disgusted with myself.

_It's disgusting how I love you_

_I can't take it-I should hate you_

_'Cause you're messing up my name_

_Gotta walk my talk, my fame_

_But I just wanna touch your face_

_It's disgusting_

_It's disgusting how you change me_

_From a bandit to a baby_

_Think I might gotta change my name_

_If I'm gonna walk this walk in shame_

_Look at what you do to me_

_It's disgusting_


	19. Dependence

_Okay, so this was supposed to be a lot longer, but I divided it into two chapters so my hand wouldn't hurt from writing. I'm hoping for a lot of reviews…y'know, if it's not too much to ask =)_

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Nineteen: Dependence**

**Jasper Whitlock**

The first thing I registered when I woke up was the hair-a dark fan across the bed, interspersed with a lighter brown I'd never really noticed before. My hand tangled in it before I was fully aware of what I was doing. I reveled in the feeling, enjoying it while I could, because all too soon the awareness would follow.

Pale skin. Eyes that beneath the lids were gray-blue, eyes that could see into your soul if given enough time. Blood red lips that wore a smirk even in sleep. A tiny hand resting on my chest, like she thought it had every right to be there, that I was hers. Like she hadn't already given herself to someone else, several times over.

I kept stroking her hair, but she didn't stir as I expected her to. She must've been tired-when I'd finished pulling out the bed, she was asleep on the floor. I'd never seen anyone need sleep that much. I blamed it on her "condition," as Rose put it. No, she wouldn't be in a good mood when she woke up.

I should've left, but something kept me there. Maybe it was how she whimpered when I tried to pull away. Maybe it was how her face looked so innocent in sleep, eyelids hiding the worry that filled that blue sea. Maybe it was the knowledge that I could somehow help her out of this hole she'd dug for herself. Either way, I found myself drifting off again, with her safe next to me, dreaming peacefully.

~oOo~

I woke up several hours later to the sound of a breaking glass bottle, muttered cursing, and the click of high heels on a tile floor. My prediction was accurate-Alice was awake and not happy at all.

"It's gone," she said to me as she glanced over. I didn't have to ask to know she meant the beer. Alice was always in a bad mood when she was sober.

"Edward drank it," she continued, walking over to sit on the couch/bed next to me. "And he left all the bottles in there to make me mad."

She draped herself across my chest-I stiffened, trying to think of anything but the way she pressed against me-and hit a button on the black cell phone in her hand, putting it to her ear.

"Emmett?" she asked sweetly when he picked up. Her voice was so innocent that for a moment, I forgot that this was the woman who killed on a regular basis, who drank herself into incoherency every day, who slept with practically every man who was unlucky enough to cross her path.

He said something, and the fake smile she'd plastered onto her face disappeared. "No, I didn't drink it all. Your brother did…I was passed out on the couch, thank you very much…yeah…Fine. Send her over. As long as she _brings_ me something this time."

She hung up, looked at me looking at her, smirked. "What are you gawking at?"

I shook my head quickly, and she sighed in acknowledgement of her defeat.

"Okay. Don't tell me. When Bella gets here, send her to the bedroom with whatever she brought."

My breath was caught in my throat, but she pushed herself up, not taking any notice. She was almost to the door when I spoke.

"Bella Swan?" I didn't' feel right. I couldn't' breathe.

"Of course," she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, then repeated "Bella Swan" quietly, like the name would lend her strength. The door slammed shut behind her, and I heard the creak as she laid down on the bed.

Bella Swan. God, I hadn't seen her since high school, since…it happened. And now, three years later, she's back in my life again.

But what could she possibly mean to Alice?

They knew each other, that much was obvious, but how was my question. They were complete opposites-Bella shy and quiet, Alice outgoing and never unheard. There was a year's age difference between them, and several inches in height. I didn't remember Bella ever mentioning her. I would've known if she had.

And yet…maybe she didn't have to say anything.

When we were in high school there was a girl who always followed Bella around. She wasn't much to look at-flat-chested, with braces and hair so short people used to mistake her for a boy because her jeans were two sizes too big. She barely said a word, just trailed after Bella like a lost puppy. I got used to seeing her at the other end of out lunch table, observing silently. Then, in the middle of October, she just disappeared.

Three days after Edward dropped out of school.

Three days after Lydia Brandon was murdered.

remembered the only thing she'd said to me, when I asked her why she was always so quiet-"You learn more when you listen."

It seemed that Alice and I went farther back than I cared to remember.

Or, at least, that was the only rational explanation I could come up with. But Ali looked so different...

I tensed when the doorknob turned, preparing myself for the onslaught.

Bella hadn't changed at all in the three years it had been since I'd seen her. Same long dark hair and brown eyes. Face carefully trained to wear a mask of expressionless indifference. Those features had emotion on them, though, when she took a good look at who was sitting on the couch.

The only sound was of her keys clattering on the floor.

"Bella," I said by way of acknowledgement.

She looked like she didn't believe her eyes, and I couldn't blame her. She walked around the couch until we faced each other.

And then she slapped me.


	20. The Way She Is

_Yay, chapter 20! This is so exciting...Thanks to my Bella (redchevygirl1987) for being all supportive and calling me just because she wanted to hear the three paragraphs I have written. (Have you guessed the chandelier thing? Can you tell me your guess now? It's really soon...) For those of you who were wondering about Jazz and Bella, it's all explained here. OH, and you people I know in real life who apparently don't know how to review...I better hear from you if you're reading this A/N. (Morgan-it's in your favorites, for God's sake! I USED YOUR NAME! You can say something!) =) Enjoy the inner workings of my dark and crazy mind._

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Twenty: The Way She Is**

**Jasper Whitlock**

"What was that for?" I asked, rubbing my face where she'd slapped me. It didn't really sting. Bella had never been very strong.

She ignored me, instead choosing to respond with "What did you do to my sister?"

Wait. _Sister? _They couldn't be. it was impossible.

"You mean...don't...do you?" _Nice job. Now she thinks you're an idiot._ "Could you say that again?"

She sighed. "My sister. Mary Alice Brandon. What did you do to her?"

I knew I should've been worried-Bella probably thought I raped her or something. But all I said was "Mary?"

She huffed impatiently. "Are people not allowed to dislike their first names?" I knew this was kind of an insult to her, as she detested her own first name, Isabella.

Apparently she took pity on me and my tiny brain, since I heard her say "We're related. Sam mother, different fathers. Alice is my half-sister."

Oh, well, _that_ just cleared everything up.

"You look nothing alike," I observed. She sighed again-this time it sounded more like an annoyed growl-and rummaged around in her bag for something, finally producing a worn photograph, which she handed to me. It was nothing remarkable, a couple holding a baby in the hospital. If there was some significance to the picture, I couldn't see it.

"So?" I said, trying to give it back.

"Look closer," she insisted. "At their faces."

I did, although I thought there was no point. The woman looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place her. Green-brown eyes, light hair, average height. I could swear I'd seen her before-maybe on TV or something-but I didn't' stop to wonder where. My eyes moved on to the man-and I almost dropped the photo.

Because he was a six-foot male version of Alice.

If I hadn't suddenly realized that the people in the photo were, in fact, her parents, I would have called it fake. But I couldn't doubt this. They had the same eyes, same dark hair-even the same crooked smirk. And the little baby he held…

"Yeah, that's her," Bella said. "January fifth, 1990."

"She's so small," I replied.

"She was born a month and eight days premature, with the umbilical cord wrapped around her throat, choking her."

"I almost _died_," Alice said dramatically as she walked out of the bedroom. Apparently, she'd been listening. "And now I'm here wondering why I didn't."

"Ali, don't' say that," Bella pleaded.

"Why shouldn't I? You always got the attention for everything. Even some things you didn't do. You even stole-"

"Emmett's bringing the cart up," Bella said quickly, to distract her. It seemed to work-her eyes widened so much it was almost comical.

"The whole damn thing?"

"The whole damn thing." Bella's mouth turned up at one corner, but she reverted to shocked when Alice threw her arms around her.

"Thank you. So much." She pulled away and jumped around a little, which drew my eyes downward from her face. I wondered if she knew of the effect she had on me. Probably. Why else would she be so obvious?

"Send him back with about a quarter of it, because you know I'll go through that and be fine, then have him come up with the rest. _Don't_ let him drink any this time." She ran back to the bedroom and slammed the door behind her.

"You care about her," I said to Bella. It wasn't a question.

"How can I not? She's my sister. I tried pushing some space between us, because I knew this wouldn't be good for us, but then she called me, and she was so sad. I couldn't stay away if it meant leaving her like this." She gestured to the closed door. "It's a bad day for her, or else I wouldn't be letting her drink like this."

"Why is it a bad day?"

She looked around to make sure no one could hear us-an unnecessary precaution, since we were alone-then said quietly, "It's the anniversary of our sister's death."

I'll be the first to admit that I didn't know everything about Alice, but when I found out exactly how much she'd been keeping from me, I was shocked. So, she was evasive and didn't talk too much about herself, but I hadn't pegged her as the type to purposely keep a secret. But, then again, maybe that was just me trying to find her good side.

"Four years ago today, our mother sent us out on an errand," she continued quietly. "I don't even remember what we were supposed to do. Cindy wanted to come with us-she was only seven. I wasn't exactly fond of the idea, because Ali just got her license and i wasn't sure about her driving yet. But I was overruled. Cindy was really spoiled. More than Ali, if that was even possible." She shook her head, but smiled fondly at the same time.

"It was going fine until we got to the intersection. As we were driving, someone else who'd ran a red light hit us. Cindy was killed on impact, Alice hospitalized for a month with a concussion and seven broken bones. And to this day, she blames herself."

I anticipated the end of her story, but it still hit me hard, the fact that she blamed herself for what a stranger had done. She seemed to do that or everything. It was always her fault, at least in her mind. I would've done anything to change that.

"That's when it started," Bella said in a subdued voice. "You know. The drinking. The sex. She took any escape she possibly could, just to get away from the pain. Except drugs." She laughed unexpectedly. 'When I asked her why she didn't do that, she made this face and said 'Do you know what that stuff does to you?' Then she opened a beer and drank the whole thing."

I felt like laughing too-I almost did-but one question still weighed heavily at the back of my mind.

"Bella?" I asked hesitantly. "What was she going to say you stole?"

"Oh. That." She blushed deep red. _This can't be good. _"Well…she was kind of talking about you."

Time stopped. It didn't really have a meaning now anyway. All that mattered was _her._ Alice. This beautiful, so-close-to-perfect woman wanted _me._ Me, Jasper Whitlock-Hale. And I didn't understand this at all.

I'd never had to work a day in my life, but she faced death if she didn't do something right. I had everything I could ever need at my fingertips while she waited four years for one chance. She should have hated me. I probably would've felt better if she did. But she didn't. She waited.

"Ali got everything she wanted," Bella said. "The night you asked me out the first time, she dragged me aside after and said 'I want him.' I was so sick of her getting her way all the time that I said yes to you."

For a moment I was offended that she used me that way, but I was more focused on what she said. That Alice wanted me.

"She did everything short of kidnapping so you would notice her. She even went to the prom with…Peter? Was that his name?"

I nodded, although I couldn't even remember him having a real date. There was a girl that seemed to hang around him, though, in a blue dress. She watched me more than him, but she almost never let go of his arms.

"I can't do this," I groaned, putting my head in my hands. It was a blatant lie, we both knew it, but she let up on the stories.

"Why don't you go see her?" she suggested. "She needs you."

I couldn't deny that. When she'd called me the night before, she sounded so…lonely. Desperate. Hopeless. I was sure that she could take care of herself normally, but not today. Today, she needed me. I stood up, but before I could get to the door Bella told me to wait.

She was looking at the floor, and she seemed to choose her words carefully. "Alice is my sister. I care about her, and obviously I want you to give her everything she needs. Especially now." She took a deep breath. "And if sex is what she needs, then that's what I expect you to give her."

I was too shocked to respond, let alone believe that was really happening. _Did Bella Swan just give me permission to have sex with her sister?_

"I know this is weird for me," she continued, "but I just want her to be happy." I could see that much, it was clear in her eyes.

"Thanks," I muttered before quickly leaving the room.

Alice and Edward's room wasn't really much to look at-a bed and two nightstands were the only pieces of furniture. And there she was, curled up in a mess of blankets and looking like an absolute wreck.

Her face was red and her eyes bloodshot, like she'd been crying a lot lately. It looked like she'd been running her fingers through her hair, too. She'd changed into a blue tank top that only accentuated how thin she was. I'd never seen anyone look so dejected and helpless.

"Oh, Ali," I whispered, reaching for her.

"No." She flinched and withdrew deeper into the covers. "Don't come near me, Jazz. I'm a monster."

My heart went out to her then. How could someone with so much life left already have pegged herself as terrible? She wasn't. She was a good person who did terrible things. I made that distinction. She didn't.

"That's not true, baby," I murmured, wrapping my arms around her. She struggled, but I didn't let go. "You are wonderful. You just made some bad choices. We all do. It gets better, I promise."

She whimpered a little and looked away when I gently raised her head. It was clear she didn't believe me. At that moment I wanted nothing more than to show her what she meant to me. I hadn't realized the depth of my feelings for this broken girl, not until then. There was no turning back.

I leaned down and kissed her gently, letting her get used to the feeling. She didn't move, almost as if she were waiting for it to be over. I was persistent, though ,and pressed my mouth more firmly against hers until she hesitantly began to return the kiss.

My tongue ran along her pouty bottom lip repeatedly, begging for entrance. When she opened her mouth I was quick to push inside. Our tongues met, twisting and fighting for dominance.

I could feel myself getting hard and began rolling my hips against hers, listening to her moan. My fingers tangled in her dark hair, tugging her closer. I grabbed her hips and rolled her underneath me.

Last time I hadn't really done anything but sit back and enjoy the ride. I wanted to give her something this time. I wanted _my _name to be the only thing falling from her lips as she came.

I pulled away and we just looked at each other for a moment. She was wary, but at the same time so completely willing to give herself to me without question. I wasn't going to let her regret it.

"My turn," I said.

She smirked as I said it, no doubt remembering the same thing I was, and closed her eyes.

"Your turn," she mumbled, barely audible.

I kissed her on the skin of her neck this time, running my tongue over it while my hands found the hem of her shirt. I tugged it up just enough to be able to rest my hand on her stomach. Her skin was warm and soft under my fingers, and it made me want to touch more of her. Without really thinking, I broke away and pulled her shirt off, looking into her eyes the whole time.

I hesitantly reached up and cupped her breasts, my eyes asking permission for what I was going to do. She bit her lip and nodded. I rubbed my thumbs over her taut nipples, and she arched up into my hands. This was exactly the kind of reaction I'd been hoping for.

My mouth closed around her nipple, sucking hard before I not-too-gently bit into the sensitive skin. She moaned and thrust her hips. She obviously liked it, so I kept doing that, moving back and forth between her nipples while my hand ghosted farther south. I tugged on her shorts, and she raised her hips so I could pull them down, along with her panties.

I pulled my mouth away, ignoring her groan of protest, and had to stifle a gasp as I looked at her . I'd never seen anything so beautiful as her naked underneath me. Pale skin, red lips, dark hair, and piercing blue eyes that were watching my every move.

Slowly, I reached down to kiss her stomach, moving across her hipbones. She whimpered, the frustrated sound drawing me down towards where she needed me. I could smell her arousal, which made it that much harder to hold back.

My fingers parted her folds, opening her up to my mouth. I reached out, watching her the whole time, and licked her clit. She shuddered and fisted her hands in my hair. I kept licking as I gently pushed two fingers inside her. She moaned and thrust into my hand as I pumped my fingers in and out of her.

I knew it wouldn't' take long to send her over the edge. She was already starting to tighten around my fingers as she whispered my name. I wanted her, but it would have to wait. These moments were devoted to her pleasure.

"Come for me, Ali," I whispered before biting down on her clit.

As she tipped over the edge I could feel her convulsing around my fingers, and I desperately wanted to be inside her. It wasn't easy, but I held on, letting her enjoy this the same way I had that night.

All the emotions of the day, coupled with what I'd just done seemed to be having a profound effect on her-as soon as I pulled way she turned on to her side and closed her eyes. She looked content, just as she had this morning, and I wondered how I was ever going to be able to stay away from her.

I carefully pulled the covers over her and wrapped my arms around her. She was half-asleep already, peaceful, but the moment wouldn't' last long. I heard my phone ring once, quiet whispers, then Bella came in and said "It's for you."

I took it, dreading the conversation that would follow. I knew who it was. Of course she would call now.

"Hello?"

"Jasper, where the hell are you?"


	21. When It Falls

_So I'm hoping for a lot of reviews to make my first week at a new school happy…and yeah. That's all I really have to say =)_

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Twenty-One: When It Falls**

**Alice Cullen**

The party was in full swing below me as I kneeled behind the balcony. Luckily, it was made of solid wood panels, so I wouldn't be seen. It was an unfinished rectangle that surrounded three quarters of the room, looking inside. My target-the chandelier that hung in the middle of the room-was easily visible from here. Soon, it wouldn't be hanging anymore.

He would be here, of course. It was his father's dinner. _Mayor _Peter Hale. I gritted my teeth unconsciously whenever I thought of him. No matter how much I liked his (adopted) son, I wasn't quite ready to change the way I thought about him.

Jasper, on the other hand, was a completely different story.

At first I wanted him because of jealousy. He liked Bella better than me-something that had never happened before. When I first saw him four years later it was lust-I _wanted_ him, more so than anyone else. But now…I wasn't sure. He was changing me in ways I never thought possible.

_God, Alice, this is no time to be thinking about that_, I scolded myself. I could barely see above the balcony, but I would know if anyone was coming my way. Edward was parked outside in the "getaway car." I would get through this without a scratch.

That's what I was telling myself, anyway. It all crumbled when I saw him.

He stood on the balcony opposite me, and he looked at me like I was a hallucination. That was a good thing-he might think it was a dream, at least for a while. I raised my hand just enough so he could see it and waved a little, smirking when he jerked in surprise. He turned away and reached for something in his pocket.

My phone vibrated, effectively startling me in the process. I'd almost forgotten that it _could_ vibrate-it was always on silent. I didn't even look at the caller ID before I answered. It was obvious who it would be.

"What the hell are you doing here, Alice?" he asked.

I took my sweet time answering, mostly because he sounded impatient, and I didn't like that. This was _my_ game. _I_ made the rules. "Remember that note I was supposed to send you?" I could see him nod from there, so I continued. "Well, you did such a good job distracting me that I forgot about it, but I figured you'd show up anyway, since it's your daddy's party."

"Why are _you_ here?"

I rolled my eyes. "You are so…_slow_." There were several words I would've rather used, but if someone happened to overhear me…well, it would've been awkward.

It seemed to take forever for my words to make sense, but I could see when they did. His eyes widened and pure shock was evident on his face.

"No. That's impossible. You aren't…are you?"

"Am I what, honey? I know you can talk in complete sentences."

He ignored that. "Are you trying to kill him?"

I didn't want him to be so blunt. It made me feel guiltier over what I was trying to do.

"That should've been obvious when you saw me." I slid the barrel of the pistol over the railing so that he could see it, but no one else could. It was aimed at the chain holding that big chandelier to the ceiling. Normally I preferred a knife to any sort of gun, but this was a distance job. I only had one shot-and I was such a good aim, one shot was all it would take.

"Why?"

I sighed. "Bell really didn't tell you much, did she?"

"Much about what?"

"Damn. You sure ask a lot of questions. Before my grandmother died and left my mom everything she owned, we were living on the street. I would've done anything for money or food. One night, when I was thirteen, Peter shows up out of nowhere and takes us out to eat. I thought he was just trying to be nice, but he stopped me before we left. I knew what he would want. I said yes. Anything that ensured we didn't starve.

"It happened at least twice a week for almost a year, in exchange for however much we would need to get by until he called for me again. After a while I noticed I was getting less, even though the visits became more frequent. One week he just stopped calling. It upset me. I snuck away from my family at night and went to go chew him out. He said he didn't need me anymore, he found someone else. I was about to leave when I saw you. You weren't looking at me, but you were there behind him in the hall, talking to Rosie. You looked so _happy_. His words kind of clicked in my head then, and I ran. The next morning my grandmother died, and…" My voice lowered to a whisper. "I tried so hard not to think about it, but I would see you in school, and it all came back. I know what he did to you, Jasper. He's not a good man."

I could tell it hit a nerve with him, this connection that we shared. The hard not holding his phone clenched into a fist, and his whole body tensed.

"Oh, and Jasper?"

"What?" He spoke through clenched teeth; I couldn't tell if he was mad at Peter or mad at me.

"Duck." I raised the gun and aimed at the chandelier chain.

And then I shot.

He didn't get down in time, but the bullet missed him. It cut right through the chain and hit the wall opposite me. The chandelier crashed to the ground in the loudest noise I'd ever heard. I was already off the balcony in the room it lead to, shedding my black coat and wrapping the gun in it. My gloves came off after, and I handed the whole bundle to Edward on the fire escape. With the evidence disposed of, I leaned around the door and waited.

It was silent for five second before the screaming began.


	22. Map of the Problematique

**Assassin**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Map of the Problematique**

**Alice Cullen**

The worst part of my plan was that I didn't know who I would hit. Peter Hale could be dead under the wreckage, or he could be standing by laughing because my attempt had failed. He'd know it was me. I was the only person who hated him enough to attempt it.

That was one of my main issues. Everyone else _loved _him, thought he was the greatest person in the world. He was the _mayor_, for crying out loud-but only two people could see what was really underneath all that. A cruel man who used others in ways that only hurt them and benefited himself.

I was one of those people. Jasper was the other.

~oOo~

The screaming was deafening-one of the worst sounds I'd ever heard. I tried to tune it out, but it cut through me, reminding me that anyone could've been murdered tonight. The whole thing was a waste of my time, really. A failed attempt for which I could lose my life.

Jasper was looking at me over the balcony, eyes wide in shock and fear. I pointed at the spot where I assumed the wreckage would be, and he shook his head.

So Peter _was_ alive. _Damn._

"Alice?"

I jumped and turned around to face whoever was intruding on my thoughts.

"God, Charlie, don't scare me like that." _Oh, it's only him_. Charlie Swan, Bella's father, head of the tiny police force in Amber Falls. He didn't know anything about my profession-to him I was just Alice, completely innocent (though with a bit of a drinking problem).

"Did you see what happened?" There was something about the urgency in his voice that made me sure he didn't know Peter was alive.

"No, I was here the whole time." He would believe me, he always did.

"Of course you were. I don't know what I was thinking." He smiled apologetically. "You should come with me, though. I still need to talk to Jasper."

_I think I just choked on the air_. "Jasper _Hale_?"

"Well, he's the only Jasper here…" He trailed off when he saw my expression. "Alice, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. Fine." _Jasper knows. He could tell everyone. _"I'm coming with you."

He looked a little unsure, but nodded and let me follow him to the other side of the balcony, where Jasper had gotten to his feet shakily and was leaning against the wall.

"God, Jazz, are you alright?" I put on the concerned voice while shooting him a _don't-say-anything_ look that Charlie couldn't see because my back was to him.

"Did you see anything?" Of course Charlie was all business now. It was a good thing he didn't know who the criminal was.

"No. It came out of nowhere. One minute I'm just standing here and the next…" He gestured over the railing.

"Do you think you could have been the target?"

"No," I said, repeating him, causing their eyes to focus on me. "If they were aiming for him they wouldn't have missed." It was true, I wouldn't have-not that I would ever in my life point a loaded gun at Jasper Whitlock.

Charlie raised an eyebrow but didn't object. He probably wondered how I knew this.

"Well, I'm going to look downstairs. You two be careful." He gave me a suspicious look before he left, confirming my thoughts.

I grabbed Jasper's shoulders and pulled him down to me, our lips meeting. He was warm and distracting and perfect against me, even frozen in shock as he was.

"What was that for?" he asked when I pulled away. "Not that I didn't like it, but…"

"Jazz, you just saved my ass from prison and/or death by lethal injection. Now that I'm still alive…" I pressed myself against him, putting my lips to his ear. "You can take me home."

I could _feel_ how much he liked that idea, but now wasn't the time or place for it. I reluctantly took a step back and grabbed his hand. "Now let's go see how much damage I caused."

~oOo~

Downstairs, all hell had broken loose-and I mean that almost literally. Panicked citizens had backed away from the center of the room, where there lay a pile of glittering wreckage. An emergency lighting system had kicked in, along with the lamps on the wall, but the room was much dimmer than before. Three bodies had been removed from under the chandelier-before they covered one up, I caught a glimpse of red hair.

People were crying and talking in hysterical voices, trying to figure ou what happened. We just stood there on the edge of it all, outside of things yet a part of them. I clutched his arm to stay upright as I surveyed the area.

Maria stood a ways over-almost at the other end of the room-but she could see us, was watching us. That was a bad thing. If she knew this much, how long until she knew everything?

"Jasper!"

The voice startled me-for one, it was too loud, too happy. Out of place in this room of sadness and fear. Like so many other things about this particular man, his voice wasn't right.

Jasper's eyes had found the source-mine were staring at the floor-and though he looked unhappy, his answer was, at the very least, polite.

"Hi, Dad."

I took a deep breath and looked up to face the newcomer.

He looked the same as I remembered-so much like Jasper that they could've been truly related and no one would be surprised. But while Jazz's face came with good connotations, Peter's came with bad.

"And you brought Miss Brandon with you." In his eyes shone the same sick joy I'd seen every time I showed up on his doorstep in the middle of the night. "Wonderful."

"What do you want?" I snapped. I was done being polite to the people who made my life hell.

"Now, now, calm down, Alice." He turned to Jasper. "Would you mind terribly if I had a word with Miss Brandon? _Alone_?"

I knew he would argue-his fists were clenched, eyes full of anger and hatred. When he opened his mouth to answer, I jumped in. "No, he doesn't mind." I turned to him and put my hands on his shoulders. "I'll be fine."

His eyes focused on me and he nodded, the anger gone, replaced with something gentler. "Okay."

On instinct, I leaned forward, intending to kiss him again, but Peter dragged me away before I even got close. He took me to a side room, lit only by one lamp, and slammed the door.

Before I really registered what was going on I was pinned up against the wall, one of his hands at my throat and the other on the front of my dress, ready to choke me if I screamed.

"I know it was you who tried to kill me just now," he said.

If these were my last moments of life, I should take the opportunity to be sarcastic. _Why not_? "You're accusing _me?_ I would never try to kill you."

"Shut up." His hand pushed into my throat. "I could have_ you_ killed for this."

I gasped and panted for breath now. Everything was too real. "Jasper would make sure everyone knew it was you."

"No one would believe him."

"Then he would hunt you down and kill you himself," I growled.

"He doesn't have the guts to kill anyone."

"He would." I struggled against him, but he pressed harder. "For me."

Suddenly he looked amused, but I could see the surprise there-he wasn't expecting that. "Are you so sure he feels that way about you?"

I wasn't, but he didn't need to know that. "Yeah, I am."

"How sweet." His lips were at my ear, not comforting me at all with his closeness. "Now here's what we're going to do. I'll let you go…if you give me something. If you don't, Jasper takes the blame."

_No_. I knew immediately what I would do. But first…

"You won't be able to get near him." The comment was a bad idea-as soon as i said it i felt a stabbing pain in my ankle and had to bite back a scream. I wouldn't be able to walk on it later.

"Answer me," he said through clenched teeth. "Will you do it?"

The only reply I could muster was a barely audible 'Yes."

As soon as I said that I was thrust into a memory I never wanted to live in again. His lips on my neck, rough and painful, his hand sliding down the front of my dress…

Then it was gone, and I gasped for breath as Emmett wrapped my coat around my shoulders and started to pull me away. Jasper and Edward had Peter pinned to the floor, Jazz holding my gun in his hand, pointing it at his adopted father's heart.

"If you ever touch her again, I _will_ kill you, and you'll be sorry we ever met," he snarled. Peter looked scared enough-something that would've made me happy under more pleasant circumstances.

"C'mon, Al." Emmett tried to pull me away, but as my weight fell on my injured ankle, I cried out in pain and pulled away from him, falling onto the floor.

"Alice!" Jasper handed the gun to Edward and ran over to me. "Ali, are you okay?"

"It's her ankle. Might be broken." Em prodded the spot, making me shriek and grab Jasper's arm. _Damn, that hurts…_

"Stop it!" He dropped to his knees next to me and ran his fingers through my hair-obviously meant to comfort me, but it only made me feel guiltier. Edward had come over. He looked like he knew what I was going to say.

"I can't do this anymore," I sobbed. He nodded.

"We need the papers. Now."

His face tightened, expression sad and resigned. "I know."


	23. Soap and Water

_So, the one-year anniversary of this story is coming up! I know, you're excited. I'm aiming to have 24 up by that time, and I'm also posting a new story, "Pressure," that will be up…whenever I finish the first chapter. So if you could check it out when it's up, it would make me really happy. And…review now. I know the chapter's kind of short, but there's not much I can do about it now…sorry…_

_So, in this chapter we meet Hunter Graupner. You have no idea who she is yet, we find out later, but you should vote on the poll that's on my profile right now, that has several options as to who she is. Please do, I want to know what you think, and she's rather important later in the story, so if you pick the right answer…well, I don't know. Be happy you're so smart =)_

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Soap and Water**

**Jasper Whitlock**

We managed to make it back to the car before the crying started.

I knew it would happen-she wasn't as strong as she wanted everyone to think. Here, in front of us, she would break down. Edward examined her injured ankle with the beam of a flashlight as his only light. Emmett drove down an unfamiliar road that apparently led out of town. Alice cried, resting her head on my lap, and I stroked her hair. Every now and then a bump in the road jostled her ankle, and everything started over again.

She held my hand like it was a lifeline keeping her above water. I could almost feel the blood flow stopping, but I didn't pull away. I had a feeling I saw her like this more than she wanted. It kind of scared me…She's come to me with the intention of _getting_ me, and I wanted that, yet I ran away.

I would be the first to admit it-her intensity had me nervous. Every time I saw her, something she said would manage to catch me off guard. That wasn't even taking into account the fact that everything around her was dangerous, and there was probably more than one person watching us, I knew. Especially now.

As we were trying to slip out a side door of the building unnoticed, a girl who looked to be about Ali's age ran up and started asking panicked questions, mostly revolving around whether or now she was okay. They looked eerily alike, but the stranger was several inches taller, had darker skin and almost-black eyes. When I asked her name, she seemed reluctant to give it, but after a moment's hesitation she muttered "Hunter Graupner" and darted away. The occurrence scared all of us, but in light of Alice's breakdown, we pushed it to the backs of our minds.

~oOo~

Emmett had just announced we were only a couple minutes away from our destination when we hit another bump in the road. This one knocked the flashlight against her swollen ankle, and she screamed loudly. The scream turned into more sobbing, and I pulled her up so she was sitting on my lap. She buried her face in my shoulder, tears soaking the front of my shirt. I clutched her tightly to me, afraid that if I let go she would slip away.

We'd pulled off the main road and up a driveway that led to one of the biggest houses I'd ever seen. Three stories, big windows, and an open door through which light was spilling onto the grass. There was a figure in the entryway. It looked as if she'd been waiting for us.

I carried her up to the door, letting her dig her fingernails into my shoulders. Her quiet whimpers of pain kept me moving as fast as I could with her tiny body in my arms. When we reached the door she lifted her tear-stained face to look at the woman in the doorway.

"Hi, Esme." Alice smiled a little guiltily. "Edward says I might've broken my ankle."

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if you did." There was annoyance in her tone, but her eyes betrayed the happiness that Ali was there, and safe for a while. "You should bring her upstairs," she added to me. "Edward can show you where to go."

I hadn't noticed he was standing there until he pushed past me. "This way," he said, not even glancing at me as he started up the stairs. Alice looked more upset as she stared at his back. I clutched her tighter, trying to comfort her as I followed him.

We ended up in a room straight out of a hospital, obviously used only if the family needed it. I laid her on the bed, releasing all but her tiny hand, which I clutched in mine. She didn't even look at me. It seemed that she and Edward were having some sort of silent conversation. Her eyes remained locked on his, pleading.

I expected her to pull her hand away when Carlisle came in, but she held steady. He didn't look surprised at all-just resigned, as if he'd seen this coming. When he moved to pull her floor-length dress up so he could examine her ankle, she whimpered and flinched away.

"Alice, it's just me," he murmured soothingly, pulling the fabric just high enough to see the bruised skin. She still wouldn't let him touch it, but after a few minutes he stood up with a satisfied look on his face.

"It doesn't look broken," he announced, and a small sigh of relief escaped her lips. "There's a lot of bruising, but you'll be fine. Try to stay off it as much as possible, though."

It seemed he was going to say more, but a quiet knock at the door interrupted him. He opened it to reveal an aging man in a suit who looked extremely nervous.

"Jenks," I said in surprise. I knew him, he was my father's lawyer. He looked at the scene-Alice in the bed, clutching my hand, Edward standing across the room-and something seemed to click in his mind. He nodded and set the briefcase down on a small table, taking out several papers and a pen, which he presented to Alice.

"I just need your signature," he said. It was obvious that he was afraid of her, but I didn't want to ask why.

She nodded and gently pulled her hand away from mine to take them. I watched in confusion as she scribbled her name on several lines without reading any of it.

"Here." She gave it back with a disgusted look on her face and he left quickly without uttering a goodbye.

Edward's expression had gone from indifferent to agonized as he looked at us. She stared him down, guilty but calm, even as I could see the tears forming in her eyes.

"I couldn't stand it," she said.

he nodded, a motion that was somehow filled with sadness, and left the room. We were alone now, Alice and I, with nothing to fill the empty, heavy silence between us.

"What just happened?" It was the only thing I could think of to ask, and anyway, I was honestly wondering about it. "Did you-"

"Quit?" She laughed, but it was humorless. "No, Jasper. Those were the divorce papers."

_Divorce_. It took me a minute to wrap my head around what she was saying. So, I was free to…?

She muttered in a quiet voice, "I can never _really_ quit."


	24. Found

_Yay, chapter 24, just like I promised! Anyway, my new story "Sins Of My Youth" will be up today, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd stop by and read that. And…I have nothing else to say… =)_

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Found**

**Jasper Whitlock**

For the next three days all anyone could talk about was what Alice had done. I was the only one who knew it was her, though, so I kept my mouth shut. I would blow any chance I had of getting to know her if I told anyone.

On the fourth day, when things started to become unbearable, I decided I would pay a visit to Peter and Charlotte. It was hard for us to be friends when I first met him, having only bad connotations for that name, but I barely even noticed anymore. That day, though, I was wondering how Alice would react if she were there and if she would be drinking, and how much. I wondered if her hand would curl around the side of her neck-she did that when she was nervous. She'd done it while I carried her out of the building that day, after everything happened.

I pulled up in their driveway with a feeling of nervousness and anticipation. I knew it was pointless, but I hadn't seen them in over a year. When I knocked on the door, the fear threatened to drown me in its icy grip. I had to remind myself several times not to pass out.

"Jazz!" Peter yelled as he opened the door. I was immediately reminded of Ali, and how she seemed given to calling me that, especially if she wanted something. "What brings you over here after so long?"

"Just some things I need an opinion on," I responded as he stepped back to let me in. _Just some things…like whether I should involve myself sexually with a murderer._

"Well, I figured that much. That's always why you're here." He laughed and shouted up the stairs, "Char! Jasper came back!"

"Really?" There was the clicking noise of heels on wood-_don't think about Alice, don't think about Alice_-and she came downstairs, smiling widely at me. I'd always liked Charlotte, she was one of the nicest people I'd ever met, and one of the three people in town-myself included-who preferred sleeping until noon if they could manage.

She reached the bottom of the stairs and surveyed me, one hand resting lightly on the banister. "I don't believe you. That looks nothing like Jasper." She held the serious expression for a few more seconds before we all started laughing.

That was one of the reasons I'd chosen to come here-they were so happy most of the time, and it seemed to be contagious. Around them, I never had to worry about anything. This time, though, I found myself worrying about Alice-I couldn't seem to get her out of my head.

"You want a drink?" I had to stifle a laugh as I followed them into the kitchen. Yes, I wanted a drink. I wanted them to sort out the mess in my head, and then I wanted to go to the Brandon mansion-where Alice would surely be, now that she was single and wanted-and fuck her. Hard. Up against a wall or something.

"So." He slid a beer bottle, already opened, across the counter to me, then took a large drink out of his own. "Why are you here?"

Coming from anyone else it would've sounded like a slight, but he never meant it that way. He knew how messed up my head was.

"Ahh.." I wasn't quite sure how to start. The events of that first day alone would take a while to relay.

"You remember Alice? Bella's sister," I prompted upon seeing his blank expression. His brow furrowed for a moment in concentration.

"Tiny, short hair, no tits, baggy clothes? That Alice?"

I gritted my teeth in an attempt to keep from making a comment on that. He didn't need to know my feelings for her went. "Well, I suppose that's how she used to look…"

"_Used to look?_" He raised an eyebrow. "How would you know anything about what she looks like now?"

My face went red. I was hoping he wouldn't ask that. _Well, I aw her a few days ago when she attempted to murder my father. I saw her several days before _that_, on the anniversary of her sister's death. Oh, and I've seen her naked a couple times, but we haven't fucked yet._

"Umm…" Funny how I went there to get all this off my chest, but I'd barely said a word. Luckily, I was saved from answering by the chime of the doorbell. Peter left the room, and I heard him open the door, but all was silent until a very familiar voice said "Are you going to let me in?"

I couldn't help it-I rushed to the door, Charlotte following me. She'd been so quiet I'd almost forgotten she was there. I stopped dead when I saw Alice at the door, looking worried. She grabbed my arm and pulled me into the living room, turning on the TV as I stood there.

"How did you find me?" I stuttered when I was finally able to speak.

"I followed you. Now shut up and watch."

Reluctantly, I turned to the TV, which was on a local news station.

_"To repeat our lead story, a startling development has been made regarding the murders of Vanessa Branson, Grace Cooper, and Ava Wallace last Saturday. This picture was taken of the attacker seconds after the shot was fired." _And they showed a grainy cell-phone-quality photo of Alice's back.

I sucked in a sharp breath and looked over at her, but she cut me off before I could start panicking. "I'm going to stay at your house until this all calms down."

"Why?"

"Because they won't expect me to be hiding right under the noses." She leaned over and pressed a kiss to my neck. "You can come get me tomorrow at six." And she disappeared before I had a chance to say another word.

I looked around the room, and my gaze landed on Peter, who was staring open-mouthed and wide-eyed at where Alice had just been standing.

"She looks like that now," I said.


	25. Torture

_Hi! Okay, so for those of you who read/voted for "Killer Instinct," it didn't win any awards =( Still, I'm really proud of it, and if you haven't read it, you should. I plan on continuing it, but it won't be a very long story, probably 3 or 4 more chapters, since it was intended as a one-shot._

_So, as you all know, Jackson's birthday is coming up on the 21st, and I want to do something special for that. I plan on having 27 up on his birthday (you'll see why I chose that chapter when I post it) so 26 will be up on Wednesday at the latest. I might not have 27 up until that night, because I have semester exams Monday-Wednesday that week, but I'll do the best I can to get it up ASAP. For now, enjoy this! I bet you didn't see it coming… =)_

_-Alice :P_

**Assassin**

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Torture**

**Alice Brandon**

I knew it would happen eventually. It always did after a risky attempt like this. There were too many complications with a large-scale killing. I knew it wouldn't work, but I couldn't resist another chance to take Peter out. To make sure he couldn't do to Jasper or anyone else what he'd done to me.

_Of course it didn't work, though,_ I thought as I pulled into the parking garage and got out of the car. My hands were shaking, and I clenched them into fists, trying not to appear the fragile girl only one person knew I really was.

~oOO~

"Alice! Oh, thank God you're back. Did you see-"

"Yes, Edward, I saw. It's all worked out. I know where I'm going."

"And you'll be safe?"

I couldn't promise him that, so I said "Safer than I would be here."

He didn't say anything else after that-just came up and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against his chest. I froze, even though my body wanted this, the contact of someone so familiar and comforting.

"Edward," I mumbled, trying to pull back. "No. Don't do this, please."

"Do what?" Despite my best efforts he continued to hold me tightly, and I realized with a shock that I _liked_ it. The thought that I might still have feelings for him started to creep into my head, and I pushed it away forcefully.

"I have to tell you something." I'd been hoping it would distract him, and it worked-he pulled away enough to be able to see my face.

"What?" He sounded worried and apprehensive-exactly the emotions I would've expected from him. I would have to hurt him, and I wasn't looking forward to that.

I took a deep breath but couldn't make myself meet his eyes. "I'm staying with Jasper."

He froze in shock, and I tensed up too, but only because I was afraid of his reaction. "Staying…with…"

I took a step back, but he grabbed my arm and forced me to look at him. "Dammit, Alice! Can't you stop thinking about yourself for five seconds?"

His anger immediately put me on the defensive. "What, so I can let _you_ make all the plans? Send me off to some stranger? Hunter Graupner's house?" He flinched guiltily at that, but I didn't know why. "I'll be a thousand times safer with him than I'd ever be at some random house _you_ picked."

I was breathing hard, and he looked like he wanted to hit something, but neither of us moved. Not until he reached out-still angry, still hurt-and pulled my face to his.

~oOo~

"You know, we're supposed to be divorced," I said quietly.

"I know." His fingers trailed across the skin of my collarbone. The feel was so familiar that I almost started to regret my decision to leave him behind. "But I'll never stop feeling this way about you."

"Yes, you will. You have to." Just what I needed. His confession couldn't have come at a worse time.

I could feel his eyes burning into the top of my head, but I didn't look towards him. I was laying across his chest, on my back, simply enjoying the feel of my skin against his. At least, I had been, until I opened my mouth.

"Alice, I can't just stop. I'll never be able to." He paused for a second. "I love you."

There. He'd said it. I knew he'd been thinking it for a while-probably even before he convinced me to marry him-but he hadn't said it aloud since I was sixteen, when "love" had a completely different definition. When I hadn't seen the world like I would.

"No, you don't." I knew he would interrupt before I had a chance to go on, and I was close to placing my hand over his mouth so I wouldn't have to hear it.

"Why can't I?"

I bit my lip in an effort to keep from saying things that could hurt him. He could be understanding at the best of times, but now…I knew he wouldn't be. He didn't see my point of view. I would never be able to love anyone. It would only hurt them.

"You know why." I rolled onto my side, facing away from him. "I shouldn't have to tell you again."

"But, Alice-"

"Please, can we not talk about it?" I said, and after that we were silent.


	26. Half Of My Heart

**Assassin**

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Half Of My heart**

**Alice Brandon**

I didn't know exactly how I'd managed to fall asleep, but I did. It was six-thirty when I woke up. The firs thing I saw was Edward leaning against the headboard, fully dressed and smirking at me.

"You know Jasper's been waiting here for half an hour," he said,

"What?" I sat up and glared at him, forgetting to hold the blanket in front of me. I pulled it up when I realized he wasn't looking at my face, and his grin got wider.

"You could have woken me up," I snarled.

"He told me not to. Said you needed to sleep. Biggest load of bullshit I ever heard in my life. He should know by now that killers never sleep."

I rolled my eyes and reached for the clothes he'd piled neatly at the foot of the bed. He watched me while I dressed-something I _wouldn't_ get upset over, because there was nothing I could do about it.

He was reading when I came out to the living room, of course, but he looked up when I stopped in front of him. I bit my lip, trying to think of something to say. The awkward silence dragged on until he smiled at me and stood up.

"We should go now." I didn't meet his eyes-I couldn't bring myself to. I saw him nod, though, and (much to my relief) I discovered how easy it was to turn away as I followed him out.

I already had a suitcase of clothes in the garage, and I was willing to carry it, but he reached it before I did. When I finally stepped into the open space he was already carrying it towards his car. I wanted to say something, but I kept my mouth shut. _Nothing that might lessen my chances with him._

~oOo~

I wasn't quite sure how I felt about going to Jasper's house for the first time in years, but I didn't expect it to look exactly the same. It did, though, even in daylight. I had always seen it at night, because no one else knew I was there, and what better time than when everyone else was sleeping?

"Alice?" Of course, he was nervous about how I'd react. He had every good reason to be, but I wasn't going to tell him that.

"Can I get a drink?" I asked instead, and he burst out laughing.

"In the kitchen," he said after his brief fit of hysteria, and I led the way, not even pretending to look lost in his house.

"I suppose I should be shocked that you know your way around so well," he commented as I pulled two cans of beer from the fridge and offered one to him. He shook his head, thing to decline it, but I stood there with my hand outstretched until he took it from me with a resigned sigh.

Twelve cans of beer later (nine for me, three for him), we were laughing at some insane story he'd just told about one of his friends in high school. As always, I was goad to lose myself in the haze that was beginning to form on the edges of my consciousness. Jasper was acting semi-drunk already. I had the feeling he didn't get out much.

"How do you do it?' he asked suddenly. I would have been ready to give him a sarcastic answer if I hadn't been caught off guard by the fact that he could string together a coherent sentence.

"How do you stay like this all the time?" His voice was quieter, he realized how much the question had startled me. "There are other things out there. Stronger things, Ali. Things that could take the pain away." The words were flowing in earnest. I could tell this all made perfect sense to him. "Why this?"

No one had ever asked me that before, and I had to be careful about the way I answered. "I don't want the pain to go away. Those other things you talk about, none of them are permanent. They just come back stronger than before. When they're gone…I feel the pain. It hurts so bad, Jazz, but I don't want to make it go away. Nothing can make me forget what I've done. This numbs the pain, makes it bearable, so I can think for a while. So I can be someone happy, like you deserve."

For a minute he was speechless, but after he got over it, a pained sound slipped out of his mouth. "Oh, Ali," he whispered, and kissed me, cupping my face in his warm hands. He pulled away, looked at me for a second, then grabbed my hand and led me towards the stairs.


	27. Who Says

**Assassin**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Who Says**

**Jasper Whitlock**

We didn't say anything after that -there was no need to. Instead we sat on the stairs, completely silent, and stared at each other. Well, I stared. She seemed intent on examining the floor until she had it memorized.

"What are you thinking?" I asked. The sides of her mouth turned up in that little smirk that was so familiar to me now. I moved closer to her, so our sides were pressed together, and her hand was on my leg so close to where I wanted it...

"I'm thinking how much I want you to kiss me," she whispered. Her hand tightened, probably cutting off the blood flow to my leg and leaving marks, but I didn't care. _She wants me to kiss her._

Our eyes met, but all I could think about was how she would react if I were to press my lips to the exposed skin of her neck, interrupted only by the thin silver chain that enclosed her throat...

Without really meaning to, I lifted my hand and brushed it across her neck. A sound somewhere between a moan and a sigh slipped out, and she moved closer even though I already had no room. We looked at each other for a second-my eyes asking permission, hers granting it-before we leaned in.

This kiss was not like the others, the ones that had started so hesitantly. We pressed against each other, aching and needy. Hands roamed, desperate to feel everywhere. We carefully got up the stairs, managing to keep hold on each other, and stumbled into the bedroom. slamming the door behind us.

I pushed her against the wall, lifting her up so I could kiss her again, and her legs wrapped around my waits. We clung to each other, her hips pushed into my hard cock, moans escaped into the night. I moved away from her lips to kiss her neck. My fingers were busy trying to get her clothes off, and I almost missed her quiet-but-amused voice.

"You know there's a bed right over there." I nodded and set her down. As we moved towards the bed, I pulled at her clothes, wanting them _off her_ She stepped away and started to take them off herself until we stood in front of each other fully exposed, and she drew me onto the bed.

I laid on top of her, between her legs, feeling her need as acutely as my own. Her breath short and light on my neck, her nipples hard against my chest, her wetness coating me, making me shiver. My hands slid over her breasts, her stomach, her hips, purely for the satisfaction of hearing her moan. Finally, I slid inside her, and I was instantly lost in her tightness and warmth, the sounds she made when I moved in her. She arched up towards me, hair covering her face, and I brushed it back to kiss her. We stayed like that for who knows how long-time had lost all meaning by that point. I only knew when she started to spasm around me, reaching her peak as she struggled to keep quiet. I came around her, moaning her name like a prayer until we both fell silent.

Some time later, I woke up to the shower being turned off. Save for me, the bed was empty until she climbed back in and fell asleep quickly. When I knew she wouldn't wake, I went into the bathroom just in time to see the last of the blood vanish down the drain.


	28. Innocent

_So I know it's been a while since I updated, but I think when you read this, you'll understand. This chapter was the result of 3 months of angsting and crossing things out. It finally ended up the way I wanted it, but by that time I was already planning DLW, so I didn't post it. Today's Dark Link is…well, you'll figure it out. It's pretty obvious._

_And guess what? I planned out the rest of this story. It's 52 chapters long. Enjoy._

_-A.l.y._

**Assassin**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Innocent**

**Jasper Whitlock**

She was still there when I woke up the next morning-a miracle I didn't expect, but one that happened anyway. I surfaced slowly from my two hours of fitful sleep and there she was, laying across my chest like nothing had happened. In my blurry vision, her pale skin merged with mine until I couldn't tell where she ended and I began.

That was the first thing I noticed. The second was my pounding headache.

Alice had been right in saying I didn't get out much. I didn't even really drink-though, unlike her, I was twenty-two and I could legally. If I had more than one within an hour, I would wind up like this.

As my vision cleared, I began to notice something. In the dim light that slipped through the half-open curtains to find us, I could see thin white lines on her back. They covered most of the skin there in a random pattern until you got to the small of her back, and there, they looked almost like…words.

At first, I didn't believe it. I thought my hangover-vision was playing tricks on me. I had to know for sure, though. Gently, I eased her still-sleeping body off me. She made a tiny surprised noise, but didn't wake up. I lowered myself until I was face to face with the 'words'…only to find out that they were real. _Thief_, the first one read, and under that was _Liar_.

I wouldn't have been surprised if _Killer_ and _Drunk_ had been carved under that (even though her tolerance was so high she never got drunk anymore). It made me feel sick, knowing that someone had done this to her. The feeling intensified when I looked at her face, expecting to find her still asleep, and instead met with her icy blue eyes.

"I wasn't expecting you to find out so soon, but you should know," she whispered, voice heavy with sleep. "Your father…he liked to play with knives."

I was still trying to process that he had done this when she spoke again. "One for every time I visited. An extra for any time I misbehaved. Those two down there are special, of course. One for the first time he saw me, one for the last." She laughed, but it was devoid of her usual sarcastic humor. "He was never exactly gentle with me. Not like you."

I didn't realize until then that tears were dripping from my eyes, landing on her ravaged skin. I wanted to wipe them away, but I was afraid it would hurt her if I touched them so deliberately. Instead I just stared until my vision blurred up again.

"Hey." She slid down until she was facing me, at eye level. "They're nothing you need to worry about. I've seen yours." She seemed to look through me then, to the place on my own back that was marred with long, thick scars. "Did you get mauled by a bear or something?"

It was the first thing that made me smile. "Something like that."

She made a face. "See, you have nothing to worry about." She took my hand and slid it over her back, where I felt the raised skin. "It doesn't hurt."

I brought her hand to my face, breathing her in. I think we must've had the same idea at the same time, because we leaned forward together, and our lips met. I felt her smile, pleased that things were finally going right, but when I leaned back, I caught sight of a thin red line on her wrist.

She noticed me looking and quickly pulled her hand away. "Oh, you noticed that. Yeah, I was on my way to the bathroom and I tripped. Stupid, right? I'm just gonna go get dressed now." She picked up her clothes from the floor and stepped out quickly, shutting the door behind her.

I almost believed her. But I'd seen the lines on her wrist, and my guess was Peter wasn't the one who made them.

~oOo~

When I finally stumbled downstairs, it was to the sound of her voice. She was singing to herself-quietly, but I could still hear her. I didn't recognize the song, but I stood there listening until she noticed me and fell silent.

"Don't stop," I pleaded. She shook her head and pushed her hair away from her face. I noticed she wore long sleeves, purposely obscuring her wrists. At that moment, I was tempted to push them back and reveal what she was trying so desperately to hide, but I didn't. She would tell me when she was ready.

I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her, feeling her relax against me. "What song was that?"

She stepped back and pressed a finger to my lips. It burned where she touched. "First I have a question for you, and then I'll answer yours." She glanced over my shoulder, standing on her toes. "Where did you live before you ended up here? In Amber Falls, I mean."

I didn't see where this conversation was going, but I answered "Houston, Texas."

"Ah. That explains your unfortunate taste in music." She thought about it for a minute.  
"You have an accent."

"How did you figure that out?"

"It wasn't easy. I only noticed it…recently." Of course she heard it last night. I'd done a pretty good job of hiding it, but it tended to slip out when my emotions were running high. Or when I was drunk.

It occurred to me that somewhere in an alternate universe I was saying things like that and _she _was the one blushing.

I stepped away even though it pained me. "You should probably eat something."

"I should. I don't want to. But it makes taking the pills easier." I watched in confusion as she pulled a bottle of pills from her pocket. A single one in a small plastic bag followed, and she held it up. "You're not very good at planning, you know."

It took me a few seconds to figure out what they were, but once I had, I was practically on my knees begging for her forgiveness. "Oh, God, Alice, I'm so sorry, I should've-"

She cut me off with a laugh. "It's more my fault than yours. I'm the forgetful one." She grabbed a can of beer from the fridge and frowned at it. "You need to get better tasting alcohol, though. This canned stuff is disgusting. It tastes like metal."

"You put up with it last night," I pointed out.

"Last night I had more important things on my mind." For a split second she let her eyes drift over me before she turned her attention to the pills. "And now I need something to eat with these, so you have to make me breakfast because I can't cook worth a damn." She smiled, but it looked strained, and before I turned around I saw her pull her sleeves down over her wrists.

~oOo~

The day passed in relative peacefulness. We lazed around the house in various states of undress, though she wouldn't let me take her shirt off. Not even when I really wanted to. It had buttons down to her stomach, and she _did___undo those so I could put my hands on her, but it didn't exactly give my mouth easy access.

Sometime around seven things started to settle down. She laid on top of me and we pretended to watch TV while really watching each other. When the local news came on, I caught her expression of displeasure right away.

"Change the channel, Jazzy," she muttered sleepily. "The news always makes me depressed." I started to reach for the remote, but the reporter's first words stopped me.

_"Three more bodies were found this morning in what has come to be known as Murder Alley."_

Shocked into silence, I looked down at Ali. The emotions on her face went from stunned to angry to terrified and ended on resigned. She started to get up, but I grabbed her arm, forcing her to stay.

_"The bodies of Sarah Bray, Erin Nesbaum, and Anthony Morris were discovered by policemen at 8:27 this morning…"_

Suddenly I felt a biting pain in my hand and looked down at the crescent moon-shaped indentations in my skin. In one fluid motion Alice pushed herself off me and disappeared up the stairs.

I gave her a few minutes before I hesitantly started up after her. I was a little afraid of what I'd find-I didn't know how to handle something like this. When I got upstairs, she'd locked herself in the bathroom off my room. I pulled the master key out of the nightstand drawer and prepared to open it. Then I heard her. It sounded like she was in pain, so I unlocked the door and pushed it open, utterly unprepared for what I would find.

She'd taken off the tight shirt so she could have access to her wrists, which, I now saw, were covered in thin white scars. In her left hand was a pocketknife used to make the two new cuts on her right arm and one on the left. _Three murders, three scars._

I dropped to my knees in front of her and took her bloody hands in mine, making her drop the knife. She didn't meet my eyes, but I saw that she was crying, that she didn't want me to find out like this-or at all. Why couldn't she see that _it didn't matter_? Whatever she did, I would still feel this way about her.

With that thought in mind, I lifted her hand and pressed it to my lips, not caring that I was getting blood on them. I put two fingers under her chin and made her look at me. Her eyes still flitted around, but they landed on mine more often.

"Why?"

I'd been braced to comfort her and pretend this wasn't hurting me, so the obvious pain in my voice surprised us both. It was almost like she didn't understand what I was saying, because it took a minute for her to answer with a single word. _Atonement._

It clicked for me then. She thought she had to pay for taking the lives of others for hurting herself. The killing wasn't okay-not by a long shot-but she was already suffering from it mentally. Physically seemed like too much.

I dropped her wrists and pulled her into my lap, letting her cry for a minute before I attended to her wounds. I cleaned the blood off her arms, sprayed the already-healing cuts with something that made her wince, and stuck a couple extra-large Band-Aids over the thin red lines. The whole time she didn't say a word.

When I was done with that, I helped her into the bedroom, where she numbly stripped off the rest of her clothes and slid under the covers. I followed her after undressing (because, hell, if she was already naked, why not?), touching her arm lightly. She turned away from me, onto her left side.

"Sorry," she said without looking at me. "I'm more comfortable this way. Do you mind?"

I pressed myself against her back and started to kiss her shoulder. "As long as you don't mind if I do this." And she laughed. A real one. It gave me the courage to tell her what I'd been thinking the whole time.

"Alice?"

"Mmm?" It was half question and half protesting moan as I lifted my head from her shoulder, but I wasn't backing out now.

"I love you."

Her whole body tensed; pressed against her as I was, I could feel it. Still, her voice was calm as she responded "No, you don't."

"Why not?" I demanded. I was waiting for a sarcastic answer, so her next words completely shocked me.

"Because you can't love somebody like me."

"Um, I think I've proved you can." I laughed nervously, trying to ease the tension. It didn't work-she answered my statement with a completely unrelated question.

"Do you know how my mother died?"

At this point I shouldn't have been fazed by anything she said to me, but I had no idea where she was going with this. It was usually best to entertain her thoughts, though (especially ones like she'd been having the night before). "You told me she was murdered, right? What does that have to do with this?"

"Look, I'm going to tell you a story and you're going to listen. And after I'm done, you'll run away." She paused, bit her lip. "Like you should."

I tried to back off a little, certain she needed space, but the look she gave me over her shoulder told me the opposite. I remained there, reaching over to put my hand on her breast so I could feel her heart beating under my fingertips. I felt her deep breath, too, before she began her story.

"You know I was fourteen when Peter got rid of me." She said it as if the words tasted foreign on her tongue. _Got rid of me_. "What happened after that isn't a big mystery. We got rich, moved into that big house, and I spent the next two years trying to piece myself back together. Of course, as soon as it looked like I'd succeeded in that, Ci-well, you know. I was broken again.

"That one incident pretty much made me who I am today, but a watered-down version. It got worse. At the time I was going to a lot of parties, mostly to get drunk. That's where I met Edward.

"He was exactly what I needed-attentive and willing to do whatever I asked. One night, he told me he was in trouble. He'd been coerced into thinking he had to murder someone or he would die, but he hadn't done it yet, and there was only a week left. I told him I'd do it, since I already had my sister's death on my conscience. There were a couple of failed attempts. One I helped run away. I thought it was worthless, the threat, but he was so worried. It was the last night before the deadline that I succeeded."

I had a feeling we were nearing the end of the story, and I was sick with anticipation. Generally speaking, I knew how it ended, but I knew there was some sick twist she hadn't revealed.

"We were at my house, trying to come to terms with our imminent deaths. The gun we were supposed to use was on the table in front of us. We heard a noise and I grabbed it. We thought maybe it was a robber. It wouldn't have been the first time someone had tried to break in. His eyes were closed, and mine almost were, too, because I didn't want to see what happened. I only saw outlines of things. When she came in, I shot.

"There ws a minute where neither of us wanted to look ,to see what we had done. Edward went over t see fist, because I was so upset. When he saw it…"

My breath caught in my throat. I almost couldn't believe what she told me, but there was a ring of horrified truth to her story. I carefully turned her around to face me and saw she still wouldn't meet my eyes. that, more than anything, convinced me.

"I don't' think any less of you," I whispered.

I saw her momentary shock turn into grief, and I held her as she sobbed against my chest. When she fell silent, I tolled her onto her stomach so I could kiss every scar on her back.

_Who you are is not what you did._


	29. The Onslaught

_Okay, people. This is what's going down. In roughly 2 months is the 2-year anniversary of "Assassin." That week, I'm posting a chapter every day. That's 7 chapters for you guys. I'm doing 30 after this, and then no more updates until then. This also marks a major milestone for me, being the first story to hit 30 chapters and-hopefully-100 reviews with this chapter. I'll also be posting an outtake every week. That story will be called "Psycho Killer" (of course). And I'll be doing an interview with Flaming Blizzard that will be posted as the "outtake" on the actual anniversary date. So send in your questions! PM them, though-I don't want anybody knowing the questions until they're posted. And no questions like "how does the story end?" because I'm not giving out spoilers._

_So, this chapter: Alice has a secret lover, Peter has a box full of incriminating evidence, and Jasper has no clue. What the hell is going on here? (The "I see panties" bit-thanks to HeatherNezzyMartha for that. You know who you are.)_

_-A.l.y._

**Assassin**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Onslaught**

**Alice Brandon**

This is the story of how I really met Peter Hale.

From an early point in my life I figured out that people weren't going to help us. We had to fend for ourselves, and for people like us, that meant stealing. Since I was the oldest, smallest, and fastest, I was assigned this task. I knew how to get in and out without being seen. If not for that, we all would've died much sooner.

I didn't take much from Peter's house. Just some bread and bottled water, enough to keep us alive until our next meal. If he hadn't come downstairs for a drink at that very moment, I would've made it out. But I didn't.

I stood frozen in shock and fear as he examined me, and after a minute, stepped towards me. He took the things from my hands and set them on the counter.

"I know you," he said. "Or, at least, I knew your mother. You're Lydia Brandon's daughter, aren't you?"

He laughed when I remained silent. "Don't bother. I've seen you with her. You're just as beautiful as she was, but there's nothing of her in you." He put his fingers under my chin, tilted my head. "Who gave you this pretty face, hmm?"

I did not know who my father was, only that he'd left after Bella was born. There was nothing for me to say. I shook my head. So did he.

"Well, Miss Brandon, I'm gong to have to punish you for trying to steal from me." He looked at me for a moment, then walked over to one of the kitchen drawers, producing a wickedly sharp knife.

"Turn around," he commanded. I did as he said, and he pushed me roughly against the wall, his hands finding the bottom of my shirt and lifting it up _just enough_, pushing my long hair out of the way.

"You make one sound and I'll kill you." I knew he meant it, so I stayed completely silent as the knife dug into my back.

~oOo~

I knew exactly where I was when I woke up. Before it was Jasper's room, I spent an uncountable number of nights there. What I didn't remember was why I was there, why my wrists hurt so goddamn much, why my eyes felt like they were glued shut. I forced them open and found myself looking at Jasper's chest.

He was not who I'd imagined holding me.

The memory of the night before came rushing back, and I gritted my teeth against the cry of pain that threatened to escape. He knew, he knew everything-well, almost. So how could he even stand to be near me?

My breathing, gradually creeping towards hyperventilation, must've woken him, because I felt his arms tighten around me. He didn't push me away. The realization brought on a round of crying, and he held me the whole time. When, several minutes later, I quieted, he lifted my head, staring into my bloodshot eyes.

"I love you," he said firmly.

I smiled, but it felt out lf place. "I know." The worst response I could possibly give, but it seemed to amuse him. He cupped my face in his rough hands and whispered another confession.

"You are so beautiful."

I felt myself blushing under his hands and averted my eyes. "Neither of those things are true." _What did I ever do to deserve him?_

He didn't answer for a moment, just pulled me back against his chest, but after that he said seriously, "If I didn't love you, I would've let you scream."

He had me backed into a corner and he knew it. Of course, talking about the things I tried to keep buried had dug up the memories. I dreamed of those nights, feeling everything as acutely as when I'd lived them. And there was screaming. It had woken him up terrified, and he in turn woke me. I didn't remember much after that, only that I begged him to make love to me, erase the pain, until, slow and gentle, he complied.

After that had been more crying. He'd waited it out patiently, always trying to make me feel better. Sometime around then I'd fallen asleep, but only a few minutes ago had Peter crept into my mind. I woke up, and was immediately hit with pain of a very different sort.

I winced as I became aware of a dull, throbbing ache between my legs, the opposite of what I'd felt last night with him inside me. The pain spread to my heavily bandaged wrists and the spot on my back where the word _Thief_ w as etched into my skin.

He immediately noticed the change in my expression, and his hands lifted to mine. "Do they hurt?"

"Among other things." He seemed to guess what I meant. One hand lifted my wrist to his lips. The other slipped between our bodies, stroking me softly. There was nothing sexual about it, I realized. He would've done the same thing if I had hurt my shoulder, or my knee. He just wanted my pain to stop.

"You are entirely too good for me," I mumbled. He stopped his hand and looked at me in surprise.

"Why? Why do you think that?" He stared at me, demanding an answer. We were going to have a moment, I thought-until some insistent noise interrupted us.

"Your phone's vibrating," he said after taking a moment to identify the sound.

I gave him a slow smile. "I know."

It was amusing to watch him catch the added emphasis. Realize we were pressed against each other, naked, and that my nipples were fully protesting the late-autumn chill that had somehow seeped into his bedroom. Hi eyes slid over me and a new kind of throbbing started-but _son of a bitch_, my phone wouldn't shut the fuck up, so I reluctantly slipped off him to grab it from the nightstand.

The number was blocked. That told me all I needed to know.

"Hello?"

"Did you check the box yet?" he demanded, angry and tense.

"What happened to 'good morning, how's life?' Because mine is fan-fucking-tastic, thanks for asking."

He exhaled angrily, but I could tell he was starting to loosen up. I had that effect on him. "Oh, really?"

"Really."

"Then you should know they'll be back today. All of them."

I froze. Jasper, who'd been about to get out of bed, noticed the sudden change. He slid over and molded himself against my back, kissing my hair. "Who's on the phone, Ali?"

"Edward," I told him. It wasn't, but he didn't need to know that. "Your family is coming home today."

His reaction was the exact opposite of mine. He got out of bed and started to pace. I was maybe enjoying it a little too much, watching him panic. It wasn't getting anything done, though, so I took matters into my own hands.

"Listen, Jas…there are some things I have to do before they get here. So you go do whatever you were going to, okay?" I sat up, and he stopped so I could bury my face in his neck. "And I really hope you were going to take a shower, because you smell like blood and sex."

He shook his head, smiling, and pulled my face to his. He was kissing me, my lips, my neck, and lower…_oh_.

"_Jas_," I insisted, untangling myself from him. "_Go_." After he was safely through the door, I turned back to the phone. "I'm going to look right now."

"Put some clothes on first." I stared at the phone in disbelief, even though I wasn't really surprised. I managed to keep it pressed mostly to my ear as I slipped on a pair of lacy black boy shorts and a t-shirt. I had no time for anything else.

In Peter's room, on the top shelf of the closet-where his wife couldn't reach-was a black shoebox with a big red _A_ painted on the lid. That was what I was looking for, and after some careful maneuvering, I managed to get it down. I hung up unceremoniously and sat on the floor to look through it with the instruction "take out anything too recent" fresh in my mind.

Letters-all dated, several in his hand I'd never seen, sealed. I set some of those aside, along with a pair of my panties-God knows where he'd picked them up-and one of two photographs. The one I left in the box was of me and my family-so he could remember our faces, he said. All four of us. The torn edges of my heart throbbed painfully, and I set it back facedown. The unsealed letters, a long lock of hair, a roll of money labeled _For Alice_-those things stayed. I hid the others in Rosie's bedroom, under the mattress. No one would think to look there. Then, half-filled box in hand, I left to seek out our middleman.

Out the back door-where I stopped in the kitchen to grab a can of beer, lest I go into withdrawal-and onto the Clearwaters' lawn, where the wolf pack lounged, almost as if they knew I was coming. I strode up to Jacob and shoved the box in his hands.

"Did you know about this?" I demanded.

He opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by a low whistle. Paul-the biggest-leaned forward to snap the waistband of my boy shorts. "I see panties."

A chorus of loud whoops erupted, which I pointedly ignored, popping the tab on my beer can. Several others were making rude comments, but I didn't listen. I was still waiting for his answer.

"Yes, I knew," he said. "About this. And everything it means. But he told me there was no way I could get to you with him around." He jerked his head towards the house. "Said it would look less suspicious if he called you." When I didn't answer, he hefted the box up in his hand. "It's lighter. You take all the evidence out?"

I nodded and took a long drink. Jasper would be wondering where I was. With a resigned sigh, I turned back to the house, only to be stopped by a hand on my free wrist. He was glaring at me.

"Look. I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, but you need to pick one of them and live with it. I'm done covering your tracks. Next time either one comes to me, they get the truth."


	30. Challenged

_Okay, here's chapter 30! I'm already finished with 31-we start the 2YA week off with a little bit of lemony goodness. I figured it would be much appreciated, since it took them 27 chapters before they finally decided to do it ;) _

_I don't know if you've heard about it or not, but I'm doing an "Assassin" outtake for Fandom4Texas. IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO DONATE AND GET YOUR COPY OF THE COMPILATION. They're on twitter at Fandom4Texas and there is a link to donate there. The deadline is November 1. If you can't donate, I understand, and you'll still be able to read the outtake. I'll post it as part of "Psycho Killer" on January 1, 2012, the earliest date I'm allowed to do so._

_-A.l.y._

**Assassin**

**Chapter Thirty: Challenged**

**Alice Brandon**

Tight jeans and high heels. A v-neck, red, that fit like it was painted on and dipped to show more cleavage than was generally acceptable. Jasper's necklace-he'd fastened it himself, sweeping my hair out of the way and kissing my neck. The half-empty box was sitting in plain sight on Peter and Lillian's bed, and we were sitting anxiously on the couch, waiting.

Nothing of importance happened for almost an our. Occasionally he would bring my lips to his. Once we almost went too far-he had me stretched out, legs apart, had situated himself between them, but the sudden spasm of pain when he slid his finger in me stopped us short. We straightened our clothes and waited some more.

It was almost noon when we heard the click of the lock being opened. Jasper tensed, but I, in contrast, was relieved. I knew what was going to happen. He only knew it was something bad. I'd shown him the box. He lingered on the picture, staring at our gaunt faces, and had suddenly pulled me to him for a long time, holding me there. He confessed that he felt something remarkably close to gratitude towards Peter for keeping me alive. I felt the same. At the very least, I owed him that.

He was the only one who didn't look surprised to see us when he walked through the door. Rosalie was, but it was quickly followed by resignation. I was going to cause trouble, as always. Lillian looked completely shocked, so much she almost dropped her purse. I remembered at the last second that jasper was supposed to be engaged, and, with the way I was dressed, I didn't look like I was just his friend. He found my hand and clutched it a little too tightly.

"Alice," Peter said through clenched teeth. He hastily composed his face into a mask of happiness. "How nice."

He didn't look like he thought it was nice at all. Lillian stared at me and Jasper, at his hand around mine. "I'm going to go lie down," she said angrily, and started up the stairs.

With her gone, Peter's façade dropped. He took a few steps towards me as I rose to meet him. jasper stood beside me, his height and obvious anger seeming to give me an advantage.

"What did you do?"

"Something that'll make you angry, no doubt," I said casually, fingering the short knife in my pocket. "And ruin your life. Probably your marriage, too, but God knows _that_ was already on the rocks."

He let a small furious sound slip for half a second, and then someone yelled his name. It was coming from his room. His hands clenched into fists, and I grinned in triumph as we followed him up the stairs.

Lillian was sitting on the bed, holding the open box in her hands. "What is this?" she demanded. Jasper instinctively pulled me closer, folding me up in his arms. I knew he hoped to shield me from danger, even though he knew I didn't need protection. Still, the thought was nice.

"Peter," she growled, growing angrier by the second. "_What. Is. It_?"

"Well," he said "it's quite obviously a shoebox, though there seems to be a distinct lack of shoes in it." I forced an innocent expression in order to hide my laughter.

"_I know_, but what is all this? Who is-" She looked up at us, back at the picture, and zeroed in on me. "_You_."

I started to cry. At this point, playing the tortured young victim was my only way out. Jasper was just as startled as everyone else. He pulled me around so I could bury my face in his chest. "It was h-him," I said. "He made me."

It was almost too simple to transfer the blame to him. we all turned to look at him-well, Jas did, at least; I was still pretending to sob. Lillian's voice was almost a whisper when she spoke.

"Why?"

Several seconds later, Peter's reply came, quiet as the question that prompted it. "They were dying. What would you have done?"

She was silent for a moment. "What _did_ you do?"

I increased the intensity of my fake tears until they soaked the front of Jasper's shirt. Peter didn't say anything, but I saw it click in her mind. He didn't have to.

"How could you do something like that?" She turned to me, awkwardly, and held out the photograph. "Which one are you?"

"The one on the left." I didn't raise my head this time. Looking at it was too painful. I heard her sharp intake of breath, though, as she read the meaning of my pale face, the sadness in my eyes and the circles under them. There were no words. She set it down and left.

I cautiously lifted my head to ascertain that there were only three of us. Peter was frozen in shock. Jasper, who had begun to stroke my hair, did not cease the movement but looked equally surprised. I locked eyes with him and tilted my head towards the door, praying that he got the message. His expression changed to confusion, then understanding.

"You want me to leave?" he mouthed.

I nodded.

He cast another anxious look at his father, then leaned to press his lips to mine for a dizzyingly long moment. When the door had clicked shut being him, I raised my hand to my mouth before I remembered I was not alone.

"Allow me to save you the trouble." I leaned against the wall, waiting for his hands to pin me there, but he didn't move.

"What was that?"

He had been there the whole time. I worked to keep the blush off my face. "What was what?"

"You know." His eyes slid to the door, mine followed, and suddenly I was pinned against the wall. I knew it would happen sometime. "What are you doing with him?"

"Nothing I wasn't doing with you." He glared at my refusal to give him a straight answer, but let go of me and followed his wife downstairs.

What did I do?

I went to Rosie's room.

She was thumbing through the unopened letters, but set them aside when I came in. It seemed she was waiting for me to say something first. I took a deep breath.

"I want to apologize," I said.

Her eyebrows shot up. She walked over to me.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be what you wanted."

"Oh. That." She looked around to ensure no one ws watching us, then ducked down and kissed me. "I think I've got ways of convincing you yet."


	31. Good Morning

_Well, hopefully I'll be able to finish 8 chapters. But I warn, you, though, I might not. I'll try and do as many as I can, though. I think I can do 8. I know where the story is going through this. Also, did any of you get a copy of the Fandom4Texas compilation? If you did, how was "Emergency?" For those who didn't…only a little over a month to go!_

_-A.l.y._

**Assassin**

**Chapter Thirty-One: Good Morning**

**Jasper Whitlock**

If there was one thing I learned in the noneventful week that passed, it was that Alice had very vivid dreams.

Most of them were nightmares. Understandably, she had a lot of things to be terrified of. These usually occur around two in the morning, when she would wake me up either with her screaming or constant, restless movements. Once she had come to silently and laid there crying until I woke up. And I always woke up. But while those compromised most of her sleep, there were other dreams. Dreams about me.

Those came after the nightmares, around the time I normally started my day. Thanks to her, I usually woke up with a full-on morning erection, which I would force myself to subdue so she would be able to get some sleep. The nightmares exhausted her, and she almost never noticed me get up. There had been one morning I couldn't resist making her come on my fingers, but she slept through the whole thing, and I felt so guilty that it didn't happen again. Well, for three more nights, anyway.

It was her moan that woke me up. Since having another person come to stay in my room I had become very sensitive to noise. I blinked and found her rubbing her ass against my hip, and my cock standing at attention, begging to be sheathed in her tight pussy.

There was just one problem with this scenario. She was asleep.

I tried to hold off, I really did. But her moans turned into whimpers and she buried her face in the pillow to stifle the sound, which she only did when she was close to coming. Unable to take it any longer, I grabbed my cock and started to stroke myself in time with her whimpers, getting faster as she did. I was so lost in my own pleasure, I didn't realize she had woken up until her lips closed around the head and I found release, spilling my cum down her throat as she swallowed.

I looked down just as the tip came out of her mouth, dragging her bottom lip down, and was instantly turned on again. She crawled up and laid down next to me, pressing up against my side.

"You should apologize for waking me up," she murmured huskily. "I was having a good dream."

She paused for the briefest second, allowing her full lips to open slightly as she thought of her next words. "Feel free to take that as an invitation."

I needed no further persuasion. She was already leaning in to kiss me, and I met her lips eagerly, running my tongue around the inside of her mouth, where I could taste myself. She moaned soft and quiet, and it vibrated around me, the sensation going straight to y cock.

I knew I would never get tired of kissing her, but the rest of her little body was begging for my attention. Rolling her onto her back, I kissed my way down to her breasts, licking her all over but skillfully avoiding where she wanted me. She groaned loudly in protest and grabbed my hair, trying to force me into touching her. I took her nipple in my mouth, much to her pleasure, biting and licking while I rolled the other between my fingers. She was moaning loudly now, and pushing her hips into my cock. I knew where she wanted to take this, so I slowly started to move downward.

Her stomach first, and across her hipbones. I was teasing her and she knew it. I gently parted her legs and settled between them, staring at her dripping sex for a moment before I reached out and parted her folds.

"Damn, Alice," I moaned, staring at her pink flesh. She laughed breathlessly-I tried to avoid swearing in front of her, but in some cases… 'You're so wet." I placed my tongue on her swollen clit, rubbing up and down as I slipped two fingers into her pussy. She _was_ wet. And tight. And hot. My cock was throbbing painfully, but I was determined to finish this. I wanted to hear her when she came.

I slowly started to pump my fingers in and out, and her legs fell further apart, allowing me easier access. She was writhing in pleasure under me, and she came undone when I gently bit down on her bud, whimpering until I pulled away.

She was eyeing my cock with a look that clearly said she needed me in her. "I want to be on top," she said, biting her lip.

_Oh, fuck_. It was a new request-she'd never been on top. I maneuvered until she was where she wanted-me on my back, my tip massaging her entrance. She leaned back against my legs. I could watch myself filling her, hear her moans. I went deeper than I ever had before. Once I was all the way in, she looked at me for a moment-and then started to move.

We didn't last long-we were too wound up. It only took a few minutes before we both came and she collapsed on top of me, pulling the blankets over her body, trying to shield herself from my words.

"I love you." She shifted uncomfortably, but didn't respond. I knew she wouldn't. I tried again.

"You're so beautiful, Ali." I stoked her back under the covers, my lips in her soft dark hair. "So perfect."

"Right." She poked her head out to look at me. Her red lips curved up in a smirk.

"You are," I insisted, but she was already climbing out of bed, pulling on a lacy black bra and matching panties deliberately slow. After a moment's consideration she picked up my discarded shirt off the floor and slipped it on, leaving it unbuttoned and rolling the sleeves up. She tossed me a pair of boxers without looking my way.

The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" she yelled, heading for the stairs. Alice liked to answer the door for people-usually pizza delivery guys-wearing little to no clothing, getting their hopes up, then calling me to sign the receipt. I didn't know who would be here this early, so I got up and looked ou the window.

It was Maria's car.

_Oh, fuck_.


	32. Gone Wrong

_I know this is a short chapter…the next one is longer, I promise. And I have a little surprise tomorrow for you guys that might just make up for the shortness of this._

_-A.l.y._

**Assassin**

**Chapter Thirty-Two: Gone Wrong**

**Jasper Whitlock**

Panic had me frozen for a moment as I heard the front door open below me. I realized I was the one Maria expected to see, not half-naked Ali, telling her…oh, God, what was she telling her? The thought snapped me out of the haze enough to pull on the boxers she'd tossed to me before I raced out the door.

I stopped dead at the foot of the stairs. They were both staring at me-Maria incredulously, Ali hungrily, eyeing the front of my boxers with a look that clearly said she wanted them off. If I was being honest, I couldn't say which one terrified me more.

"Jasper," Maria said. Her voice was confusion with the beginnings of anger. "What's going on?"

Ali, however, had a different idea. "Jazzy!" she chirped, wrapping her arms around me. Her lips met my chest, and I gritted my teeth in an effort to stop feeling. "_Mmm_." I responded automatically to having her so close. My hands splayed across her lower back. Maria's eyes met mine, and she glared at me with awful realization.

"Who is she?"

"_She_ is right here." Ali turned around in my arms, so that when I looked down I had an excellent view of her cleavage. _Hell_. "And I'm surprised you don't recognize me. Alice Brandon."

I hadn't been aware that they knew each other, but recognition flashed across her face. "You knew my sisters. Nettie and Lucy." Ali nodded. "But…you're only nineteen."

I started. Sometimes it was easy to forget that she was younger than she acted. "Think about it," she said. "Age really isn't the issue here, is it?"

Maria glared as Ali smiled triumphantly. I scrambled for something to say. "Do you want a drink?"

"_I_ want a drink," Ali said. She slipped out of my arms and headed for the kitchen. I looked back at Maria apologetically, but she didn't meet my eyes. Instead she set off down the hall, and I had no choice but to follow.

"Why would you do something like this?" she yelled. Ali lowered the bottle from her lips and stared. "We were getting married?" She paused for a second, composing herself. "We _are_."

Ali snorted. We both turned to look at her. "Do you wanna tell her, or should I?"

I stared blankly. She rolled her eyes and turned to Maria. "This little wedding of yours? It's not happening. And you're telling her why, Jas, because I can't."

They both looked at me expectantly, Ali confidently, because she knew I'd back her up.

"Becauseiloveher," I mumbled, and was met with confusion from both of them. I cleared my throat. "Because I love her."

Ali blushed a little (or a lot) and busied herself with drinking another beer. Maria raised an eyebrow.

"I don't see why that matters."

"Why doesn't it?"

"It's what people think that matters, and they think you love me. So we're getting married next week. You can come, I suppose," she added to Ali, and left, slamming the door behind her.

Ali pulled herself up on the counter and motioned me over. I stepped into the thin circle of her arms and rested my head on her shoulder.

"Ali. What are we going to do?"

"I thought that would've been obvious. We're going to stop the wedding."


	33. Speak Now

**Assassin**

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Speak Now**

**Alice Brandon**

"So, what do you think?" I pushed my hair off my shoulders and stared at myself in the mirror. The dress I was wearing was deep red, dipped low between my breasts, and flared at the hips, ending abruptly halfway down my thighs. He came up behind me and stared at our reflection. Thanks to a pair of killer (pun intended) heels, I was closer to his height than ever. I swept my hair up into a bun, letting strands fall around my face. He grabbed one and wound it around his finger.

"Do you want the truth, or do you want me to lie?"

"Those are pretty broad terms."

'The lie would be that you look perfect for a wedding. The truth is that you look like a trampy mushroom cloud, but…" His voice lowered, and he leaned down to kiss my neck. "I like it."

"Thanks." I smiled, grabbing a handful of his hair. "They hickey really completes the look, don't you think?"

He stared in disbelief at the bruise on my shoulder. "God, Ali, I'm s-"

"Don't apologize. I like it." He raised his head and just looked at me for a moment before he tilted my chin to kiss me. I could tell he'd meant it to be soft and quick, but he lingered…pressed harder…slipped his tongue into my mouth. If his arms hadn't been around me, I would've fallen. One of his large hands slipped down the front of my dress, rolling my nipple between his fingers. I stiffened and-with great effort-pulled myself away.

"Jas, we don't have time." I caught sight of myself in the mirror again. My skin was flushed, my lips red and swollen. Damn, I looked good. "I think you have somewhere to be."

"Oh, hell, you're right." I bit my lip to keep from laughing, as I usually did whenever something even resembling a swear word slipped out of his mouth. "We need to leave." He turned to look at me seriously. "You have a plan, right?"

I smiled at his needless worry. "Don't think about it. I've got it all figured out."

~oOo~

The small church where the ceremony was taking place was only a short drive from his house. I settled in the back row, pulling my leather jacket (which was effectively hiding the hickey) around me. There hadn't even been time for a drink, and my head ached with what was surely the beginning of withdrawal.

Someone clamped their hand on my shoulder. I froze, but the grip was familiar. When I reached for it, it turned over, and I felt the ridge of a scar below the palm. Exactly what I'd been looking for. I grasped it desperately, hoping he was still able to read my grip. His hand vanished, replaced by the cool metal flask. I grabbed his fingers and squeezed three times. _I love you_.

The flask sloshed promisingly in my hands. I uncapped it and raised it to my lips, draining it all in two long drinks. I could feel my head starting to clear. The empty flask went over my shoulder, where he took it back from me.

"Hey. _Hey_! Trampy mushroom cloud. Move."

I looked up at an average-height girl with tan skin, blonde hair, brown eyes, who was obviously waiting for me to move. Standing over her shoulder was an intimidatingly tall guy. I could swear I'd seen them before. I moved my legs and they sat down, leaving an empty seat next to me, which Edward slipped into.

"I had a feeling you'd come." He pulled another flask out of his pocket and handed it to me. I busied myself with drinking it. "You look like a trampy mushroom cloud."

"So I've heard."

Music started playing at the front of the church. I handed Edward back his flask an stood with everyone else. The was the usual procession first. One of the bridesmaids was Lucy Benevides (I'd always liked her better) and I winked at her when she noticed me. Finally, the bride herself entered, looking like…exactly like the cake would. I stifled a laugh as she took her place next to the altar, but it died when I saw Jasper there.

Most of the ceremony was tediously dull, but I was actively listening for my cue. After what seemed like hours of badly needing another drink, it came: "…or forever hold your peace."

I stood up. Since I was at the back, most of the guest didn't notice-but Lucy did. She had a look on her face that said _Ali's going to cause trouble_. Then Nettie saw me…then Maria. She glared at me viciously. I walked up to face her, letting the sound of my clicking heels fill the room as the guests turned to stare. I stopped in front of her, and she glared at me.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. I just don't think this wedding is a good idea."

"Of course it it! It is, right, Jazz?"

He stared at her for a second, then stepped over to stand beside me, grabbing my hand. We turned to walk out the door, only to hear her accusing voice:

"_Murderer_."


	34. Better Than Revenge

**Assassin**

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Better Than Revenge**

**Alice Brandon**

I should've known it would be more difficult than we anticipated. But how did she even know? I flashed back to a single shot…a chandelier on the floor…her eyes staring directly at me. Apparently seeing me there was enough to link me to the attempt. Never mind that she was right.

"I saw you." She pointed at me; triumph glinted in her eyes. "I saw you there. You tried to kill him." Her gaze landed on Peter, who was looking very convincingly shocked. He stood up to defend me. Jasper's grip was cutting off the blood supply to my hand.

"Is just being there sufficient evidence to call her a killer?" As usual, we were on the same page. "I happen to have seen Miss Brandon seconds after that chandelier fell on those poor girls. There's no way she could have disposed of the evidence that fast."

Maria hesitated, then moved on to her next attack. "And you're going to let this-this trampy mushroom cloud leave with my husband?" Silence met her. Jas wrapped his arm protectively around my shoulders, and I flexed my now-free hand. "Well?"

The sound of someone standing. I turned around, and it was Edward. He was joined by Bella, who took his hand and smiled awkwardly at me. Blondie and her tall friend stood up too. Peter stepped next to me and took my not-aching hand. And-the shock that broke the silence-Lucy Benevides came down from the altar to stand between me and her sister. Even I hadn't seen that come. Even I hadn't seen that one coming.

"I suppose that settles it," Peter said under cover of mass confusion. "Alice, could you come with me?" I looked at Jas to reassure him, then followed Peter to a small side room, where he shut the door behind us.

"Has anyone told you yet," he began, "that you look-"

"-like a trampy mushroom cloud. I know."

"That's not what I was going to say."

There was a split second of awkward silence and then he was kissing me, pulling the pins out of my hair so it fell around my now-bare shoulders. The jacket was on the floor. I automatically relaxed in his arms. It had been too long.

"I missed you." He pulled away to bury his face in my hair. "It didn't feel right being in your house without you there."

"Jasper wasn't enough for you?"

"Don't bring him into this." Guilt flashed through me when I thought of him, and how he loved me so purely. "I need to see you."

"You're a sucker for punishment, Ali. You don't need to see me."

"Yes, I do." My hand clutched his shoulders like lifelines. He felt just a bit thinner than I was used to. "You can't guilt me into staying away."

I was starting to feel dizzy with happiness. Peter still loved me and I had stopped the wedding, and Jasper was all mine…

_Jasper_. His face flashed in front of me. I knew he would want me for the night. "We need an excuse for him to leave me alone."

"I was thinking…this might be a good time to tell him about…you know."

I nodded. He needed to know. I worked up some tears-it wasn't hard over this.

Outside, chaos still reigned. Lucy and Nettie were holding Maria back from beating me to a pulp (though I highly doubted she could, I appreciated the gesture). I slipped up to Jas and gripped his arm. He stared in shock at my tear-streaked face.

"Jas," I whimpered. "Take me to the Cullens.'"


	35. Lucy

**Assassin**

**Chapter Thirty-Five: Lucy**

**Jasper Whitlock**

In the aura of confusion that still dominated the church, I was able to slip her out quietly. No one noticed but Peter-I could feel him watching us. I thought maybe she could too, and she would say something, but she didn't speak. She only clutched my arm tightly, as if she were using it to hold herself up. Tears ran down her face, more than I'd ever seen at once, more than she'd cried for Cindy, or Lydia, or all the innocents whose fate was etched on her wrists.

I helped her into the car-it wasn't the first time she seemed too fragile to move on her own-and she wilted against the seat, closing her eyes against the harsh sunlight that seemed so out of place. When I slammed the driver's side door behind me she had slumped over with her head in her hands, the very image of pain. I hesitantly reached up and gripped her shoulder. She looked at me through red-rimmed eyes and smiled. Reassured by that, I started the car and drove out of the church.

"She's gone, Lu," Ali said, reaching behind the seat to grasp something. "You can come out now."

"Oh, good." There was a rustling-I kept my eyes firmly on the road-and Lucy Benevides climbed out of the backseat and settled herself on Ali's lap. In the few minutes since I'd last seen her she had changed into jeans and a white top covered by a pink scarf. "Do you know what was on the floor back there? Disgusting. You really need to clean it, Jasper."

"Lucy, what are you doing here?" I had half a mind to turn around and driver her back, but Ali looked so happy…

"Well, I saw Ali. You can't expect me to stay away from her. We haven't seen each other for _three years_." She sighed dramatically and looped her arms around Ali's neck.

"Don't you dare make her get out, Jas." Ali paused to stare at me maybe a second too long, then turned away. "You're crushing me, Lu."

"Did you want to be on top?" She winked at me and they switched spots. Ali reached over to take my hand and I clutched it tightly, afraid that someone as insubstantial as her would slip away.

"So, where are we going?" Lucy asked. Her voice was slightly muffled against Ali's shoulder. She looked as if she didn't want to answer.

"We're going to the Cullens," I said. "I don't…know why…" I trailed off as understanding lit her face and Ali started to cry again.

"Did you tell him?"

Ali shook her head.

"Are you going to?"

"No."

"Why not?"

She stared at Lucy as though willing her to get it. "I can't."

"But I can." She looked resigned. "Someday you'll have to talk about it."

"I can't," she repeated. Her voice broke. "Not yet."

I wanted to stop the car and wrap her in my arms, never let go. I could taste her grief, could hear it even when her tears made no sound, and it cut me thoroughly even when I didn't know the cause.

We fell silent except for Ali's whispered directions to the large secluded house, where Edward and Bella already stood, waiting for us. She stumbled out of the car and into his arms, whispering something to him urgently. He cast a glance back at us, waved to Lucy, then vanished with her into the house.

I stepped out of the car, and the passenger door slamming told me I'd been followed. Bella walked out to meet us so we formed a tight little group.

"What's going on?" she asked.

Lucy looked from me to Bella. "I don't know the whole story, so I was going to talk to Carlisle, but you can help. She…he needs to know about Wy."

"Who?"

Bella was a mster at hiding her emotions, but her sadness was openly visible on her face. "Wyatt…he was her son."

_I know I need to apologize to you. So I'm sorry. And I figure I owe you an explanation…I just get so stressed trying to do something like this if it wasn't mostly written beforehand. I needed time off. There will still be 8 chapters before 2012…and speaking of, if anyone wants to sign up for the Album Challenge, details are on my profile._

_-A.l.y._

_P.S. I did see Breaking Dawn last night. I'm seeing it again tomorrow. He is just so damn sexy. (Jay, I mean…y'know.)_

_-still A.l.y._


	36. Wyatt

_Quick note: sorry for being sort of AWOL since November. It's a long story, and I don't really want to get into it. I'll just say that I'm trying to make time to write more on this story, and all the others. I'm planning on doing a 3-year-anniversary update binge next month, but I don't know yet if that's going to work…anyway, I hope you don't hate me too much._

_-A.l.y._

**Assassin**

**Chapter Thirty-Six: Wyatt**

**Jasper Whitlock**

"Her son?" I asked, testing out the words. They didn't sound right. How could she have ever been _pregnant_? She'd been on the pill four years! Then I remembered: shed lost her virginity six years ago, over and over again. To my father.

"When?" I could barely find my voice-my mind was still frantically working. Bella had said he was…so that must mean…

"I suppose it must've been around five years ago now," Lucy said slowly. My window of opportunity had been confirmed. "She was pregnant the first time I met her-not that I knew that. None of us did, not even her." She looked over at Bella, who motioned us inside. "I didn't even know she had been until she told me about a year after it was over."

We were in the Cullens' living room now, situating ourselves on the couch. Bella sat a ways from me, but Lucy was so close our knees kept bumping. I remembered that she had been-and probably still was-Ali's best friend, and it would be just as hard for her as it was for me to hear about this."

Edward and Carlisle entered the room at the same time from different doors, which would have been comical in any other situation. However, given the circumstances, I couldn't even think about laughing when I knew she was in pain.

"So," Edward said. "I didn't really know her that well when all this happened, but I'll try to help as much as I can. Of course, Ali breaks down if we even say his name, and our only other firsthand source besides Carlisle would be the baby's father, who isn't here right now."

"I never liked him anyway," Lucy muttered. When we all turned to stare at her, she raised her hands defensively. "What? The whole thing's just really creepy, when you think about it."

In my mind, this confirmed the only guess I had to the father's identity. "So Peter was…"

Carlisle nodded. "Up until after Cindy's death, he was the only person she'd…been with. At least, as far as we know." Lucy opened her mouth to say something, but apparently thought better of it, because she remained silent. I was still in shock. Of course it wouldn't be something she'd like to talk about, but…if he had lived…he would be my adoptive half-brother. That thought stopped me short again.

"It was a surprise to all of us," Bella said. It sounded like she was trying to remain emotionless. "We never suspected what was going on between them. Wouldn't have guessed it was him if she hadn't told us. She was supposed to start high school that year, but Lydia pulled her out, kept her home. The result is that I never saw her because I was sent to school, so I really don't know much beyond that point." She looked over at Carlisle in a silent plea for assistance. He picked up roughly where she left off.

"Ali ended up staying here after about five months. She was too young and too physically small to keep herself and the baby alive at that point, but she wouldn't kill him. We had her hooked up to all sorts of machines for another month, until she went into labor early. Edward was there. Peter wasn't. He couldn't get away from his family, not if he told them he had to be there when his fourteen-year-old mistress had his baby. She wasn't alone, though." He paused, and I felt the inevitable end coming.

'She stayed in labor for twelve hours. It was a miracle she didn't need a C-section. But it wouldn't have helped anyway." Another pause, a longer one. "Wyatt was stillborn."

Of course. I could see that it had begun her eventual closing-off of herself. Lowered the curtain, built the brick wall. Her logic, flawed as it was, only made sense to me: If you don't love anyone, they can't hurt you.

"Can I go see her?" My voice was hoarse. It hurt to imagine her locking herself away, resigned to a lifetime of loneliness.

"Of course." I turned around: Esme had come into the room behind me, sadness etched in her face. "She's upstairs. First door you get to."

I thanked her quietly and headed towards the room she had indicated, footsteps quiet. I could see her through the open door, curled up on the bed, facing away from me. Careful to move the mattress as little as possible, I laid down next to her, wrapping my arms around her.

"So now you know." Her voice was quiet and steady, but behind it was a wealth of pain and bottled-up grief. I could see it in her eyes, in the tear tracks running down her skin.

"Now I know."

"And you probably hate me."

"You've got to stop thinking like that." I pulled her closer and, resigned, she relaxed slightly in my arms. "There is nothing in this world that could ever make me hate you."

"Why?"

"Because I love you."

"A thin excuse," she said, but I could hear amusement in her voice. She turned to face me." Jas…would you mind too much if I stayed here tonight? I don't think i can go back there. This whole day has been…"

"I know what you mean. You can stay tonight." I leaned down to kiss her. "But promise you'll come home tomorrow."

"Of course. I'll always come home to you."


End file.
